For the Love of a Bookstore
by Edo-chanluv
Summary: Edward and Al returned to Resembool after getting their bodies back. Samantha's just trying to make a living on her own. Can a chance meeting mean romance? Or does mututal stubborness mean this brief spark is dead in the water? Scheming friends say no!
1. Chapter 1

** Chapter ONE **

"You know, you could _act_ like you enjoy being here." Samantha's manager stated.

"Merf." Sam responded, not bothering to look up from where she rested her head in her arms. Carrie, the manager, sat down in front of the small, blond-haired, green-eyed girl and sighed.

"Not what you were expecting when you signed up; is it?"

Sam mumbled incoherently.

"Well what do you expect? It's a _bookstore_. Nothing really exciting is going to happen here."

"I know… It's not just the bookstore though. I've been living in Resembool for four years now, and absolutely nothing eventful has happened."  
"Well, there was that day when the Fullmetal and his brother came home."

"That? That was absolutely nothing. 'Yay Edward's home! Hi Edward, hi Alphonse!' You know, no one even bothered to congratulate them about getting their bodies back? Except maybe Winry and Pinacco."

Carrie blinked. "You didn't either." Carrie had light brown hair, blue eyes, and she was about average height.

"They don't know me," Sam said, "It wouldn't mean anything coming from a total stranger." She sighed.

"Well, I guess…"

The door at the front of the shop opened, and Carrie patted Sam on the head. "Here comes a customer, work for your pay!" She whispered before scurrying into the back room.

Sam stood at the register. The guy who came in was tall with long light brown hair kept back in a ponytail. He had green eyes and his face looked remarkably young for someone who was eighteen. She blinked as she remembered his name. Alphonse Elric. He was wearing a black shirt and pants, with a large red overcoat. Samantha remembered vaguely that his brother used to wear something like that.

He walked over to the first shelf, examining it carefully. Sam knew that particular shelf by heart.

"Interested in fantasy books?" She asked, resting her head in her hand and leaning over the counter.

He smiled, "Not really, but my brother and I have been through this part of town a lot and we never noticed this bookstore before. I thought I'd check it out."

"I'm not surprised you never noticed us. We're not much," She waved her hand vaguely around the small store.

"It's sort of like a home," Alphonse said, admiring the simple decorations and altogether warm feel of the place.  
The door opened again and another boy came in. This one also had long hair, but his was blond. He looked like someone who had seen a lot in his life, someone old in spirit but young in body. Sam knew better than to gauge his maturity by his looks though. She had seen him throw a pretty good hissy fit when someone mentioned his height. Sam didn't think Edward was that short in the first place, but she realized she was comparing his height with hers.

Edward's golden eyes locked on Alphonse immediately. "There you are." Edward was wearing a white shirt with tan pants and a brown overcoat.

Alphonse had picked up a book and was flipping through it. He looked up at his barely taller brother. "I'm sorry brother, but you were taking too long."

Edward sighed. "Still, it's a pain in the ass to track you down."

"It's Resembool. It shouldn't be that hard to find me." He then added under his breath so quietly that Sam had to strain to hear it, "But then again you couldn't keep track of me when I was a seven foot tall suit of armor."

"It's your fault for wandering off so much." Edward retorted. Alphonse shrugged.

"They sell Alchemy books here."

"Quit changing the subject!"

Alphonse looked up at Sam. "Are you new here? I've never seen you in town before."

Edward mumbled something about Alphonse changing the subject again.

"I've lived here about four years." She stated.

"Are your parents from here?"

"No, my mom and dad live in Central."

It was Edward's turn to look at her. "Aren't you a little young to be living on your own?"

Samantha inwardly sighed. "I'm eighteen." Her statement seemed to stun him.

"But…but… you're so… _small_."

"Brother!" Alphonse scolded.

"I know I'm short. I'm only 5'1'½." She laughed.

"Are you sure about that half?" Edward teased.

"_Brother!_ We don't even know her name! Don't bully people you don't know!"

Sam laughed again. "I'm used to it, my family loves to pick on people. My names Sam by the way."

"As in Samantha?" Edward asked. She nodded. "Well, I'm Edward Elric, and this is my little brother, Alphonse." He motioned to Alphonse; who smiled and gave a polite bow.

"It's nice to meet you," Samantha said. Edward and Alphonse responded at the same time,

"Likewise."

Edward put his hand on his brother's shoulder and said, "We'd better get going. That girl you like that lives down by Winry's won't wait forever."  
Sam had never seen one boy turn so red.

"Brother…It-it's not like that! I-…I just-"

Edward laughed and ushered Al out the door, "We'll see ya later Samantha!" He called over his shoulder.

She waved goodbye.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter TWO **

The next day Sam kicked back in her favorite chair in the reading area that was set-aside in the store, staring out the window. She saw Alphonse walk by, blushing slightly and talking with a girl Sam recognized. For some reason or another he was carrying a seashell. As the couple passed the window, Edward ducked into the store.

Sam blinked but said nothing. Edward watched them out the store window. Finally he turned around, and when he spotted Sam in the chair he jumped.

"How long have you been sitting there?" He asked.

"Don't you think it's kinda creepy that you're following them?"

Edward scowled. "I'm not following anyone, are you kidding?"

Sam cocked an eyebrow. "It's creepy."

"I told you, I'm not following anyone!"

"Why are you so defensive?"

"I'm not defensive!"

"You're being defensive about being defensive!"

Edward stared at her. Sam just shrugged.

"I get it. He's your little brother, you traveled with him for so many years, you're afraid to let go."

"I'm not-" He stopped, frowning. "It's his first date. I just want to be there for him. I wasn't going to follow the whole thing, just until I knew he would make it."

Sam nodded. "Pull up a seat, you can get a good view of the window from here."

Edward laughed. "Nah, he'll be fine on his own." Something about his tone told Samantha he wasn't quite sure about that. Sam smiled. It was kind of cute.

He cocked his head and looked at her, "What're you smiling at?"

"Oh, nothing."

He scowled again and she laughed. She motioned to a chair that he reluctantly took. He sat next to her and sighed. They sat in silence for some minutes until he finally asked,

"So why'd you leave the city?"

She hesitated before responding, "I never really liked the city. You couldn't see the stars like you do here. And it was too packed, you know? Here, everyone knows everyone; people go out of their way to help each other. It's nice."

"Yeah, but everyone knows each other's dirty laundry. You can't like that."

"People don't know who I am though. My dirty laundry is something they don't care about."

"They'll find out eventually."

"…Nah. See, the less they know about me, the longer I remain a mystery, and the more it entertains them. I'm not a very noticeable person to begin with."

Edward blinked. "What makes you say that?"

"Well…you've been back for a year now, and even though it's a small town, you spoke to me for the first time _yesterday_." She said.

"I knew you lived here."

"Yeah, but you didn't know _me._ I was nothing to you. No face, no name. A shadow. An enigma."

"That's pretty deep for someone so small."

She looked up at him. "You're loving this, aren't you?" That made him grin.

"Only a little."

Sam scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Please, I've seen what you do when people call you short. You absolutely love that I'm so much smaller than you. In fact, I'd be willing to bet you're going to glue me to you and carry me around to show how much taller you are!"

Ed stared at her. She put her hands up.

"Forgive me. I'm clinically insane."

"Are you like this all the time?"

"No, no. It gets worse." She shifted her blond hair so a shadow fell across her face, "Sometimes, at night, I break into peoples houses and hide their shoes."

He stared at her with those golden eyes again. Sam laughed.

"I'm _kidding_, Edward."

"You don't have to call me Edward, just Ed is fine."

"And you may call me Sam."

"Sammy." He smirked.

Her face immediately darkened. "No. No Sammy for you. Just Sam."

"Why not?"

"It just…sounds _weird_ when you say it."

Ed blinked.

"Look, it's like this," Sam's hands made frantic movements as she tried to explain herself, "There are some words that people should never say. You," She pointed at him, "Shouldn't say Sammy unless it applies to someone of the small male child persona. Preferably with dark hair and a knack for getting into trouble."

"…What?"

She sighed, "Just label it a no-no word unless the circumstances are suitable."

"A _what_ word?!" Ed asked, bewildered.

"A _no-no_ word. Basically label it an extremely foul curse word and don't touch it. 'Sammy' should never come from your mouth again. Now, if you'll excuse me, it's my lunch time." She stood and walked towards the door.

He followed her. "Do you tell everyone not to call you Sa-that?"

"So far, it's just you."

"It just sounds weird from me?"

Sam had started to push the door open, but stopped and turned to look at him, "A little slow on the uptake there, huh Skippy?"

"Skippy?"

Samantha opened the door and left.

"Wait!" He called following after her. He caught up to her quickly and said, "What the hell is wrong with you? It's rude to just leave in the middle of a conversation you know!"

"Well… yes. But I'm hungry, and… it's kinda just the mood I'm in today. Actually, strike that." She turned to look at him. "I'm sorry for leaving in the middle of our conversation."

"Why the hell-"

She raised a finger to silence him. "You shouldn't ask me why I do things."

"Why not?"

"Because, my mind is so intricate I doubt you'd understand my reasoning."

Ed smirked. "Try me."

"Look. I figured, what's the point in telling you anything about me if you're just going to make small talk and forget everything within the next half-hour? So…"

"So you got up and left. To gauge just how interested I was in the conversation." He finished.

"There's that."

"There's more to it?"

"Well, regardless as to whether or not _you_ were enjoying the conversation, I was quite pleased that someone had taken notice of me. Asking you to have lunch with me to resume the conversation would be awkward, but if you followed me, well, then I know you enjoyed the conversation _and_ you're probably hungry, since I said 'lunch'." After she finished, he watched her carefully.

"You're bullshitting me, aren't you?" He asked.

"Completely."

Edward laughed. "Is there an honest answer to as to why you just stood up and left?"

She thought this over.

"I don't think there can be if I don't even know why I did it. But I really was hungry." That caused him laugh again. He threw his blond hair over his shoulder and said,

"I guess you'd like some lunch then."

"Will you buy it for me?" She pouted and tried to make a face like a kicked puppy.

"We'll see."

"That means 'no' doesn't it?"

"Yes."

They started walking.

"Yes 'you'll do it' or yes 'that means no'?"

"Yes that means no."

"You're sure."

"Yes."

"Yes 'you're sure' or-"

"I'm not buying your food."

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Edward couldn't believe he was actually having lunch with the strange girl. She had to be completely insane. There was no other way to describe her.

"Isn't Carrie going to be upset that you left?" He asked.

"No way. Carrie's awesome. That and I left a note that I was going to lunch at twelve." Sam shrugged.

"Then why were you still sitting in there when I walked in?"

"It wasn't twelve yet."

"It was eleven fifty."

"But it wasn't _twelve_." She said, taking a drink of her tea.

The conversation paused for a moment. Edward watched her as she fiddled with her napkin, taking her time before she looked back up at him. Something flashed behind her sea-green eyes in that instant. He frowned, having missed exactly what emotion that was.

"Why do you hate milk so much?" Samantha suddenly asked.

"I don't remember telling you that."

"Well… What was that delightful phrase you used? 'Everyone knows each other's dirty laundry'?"

"I'd hardly call my hate for milk dirty laundry." Edward flipped his straw out of the drink with his teeth and began to chew on it.

"Answer zee question!" She poked her straw at him.

"It tastes like vomit."

"I see." He watched her as she mulled over his statement. What on earth could here be to ponder over? He hated milk. The end. There shouldn't be anything else!

"What about chocolate milk?" Sam asked.

"It's still milk."

"But it doesn't _taste_ like milk."

"It's still the same damn thing!"

"No. There's a taste difference." She stared at him for a minute. "What if I ordered milk, right now?" Ed turned a bit green. "I won't, but what if I did?"

"I'd leave and then kick your ass later."

"Whoa. Harsh dude."

Edward shifted and looked out the window.

"Worried about Al?"

He sighed, "No. Not really."

"Liar."

Edward turned and looked at her.

"If you're half the brother everyone says you are, you're worried sick. You're hoping this girl won't hurt him, wondering if he can handle it, hating yourself for questioning his strength-" She paused, "-and you might just be a little jealous that he has someone."

Edward snorted with derision. "You talk like you know me."

Samantha just shrugged and took another drink. "I might not know you, but I know _people_. A bond like you guys have isn't going to be ignored, even if you have your bodies back."

"What makes you think you know so much about people?" He then added, "How much do you know about our story anyway?"

"More or less the gossip that flows around town. Not much other than that."

"Then how can you think you understand?"

"Because," Her face turned serious, surprising him, "You've been through something traumatic. Going through all that just to lose him… Well, I'd be nervous too." They sat quietly for a moment. Finally, Sam asked, "He's going out with a girl named Colleen, right?"

"Yeah. And I'm really not that concerned."

"You're lying again…" Edward frowned. Who _was_ this girl? The more he tried to learn about her, the more confused he got. Had she been through some great trauma? Is that why she knows people so well? Did her family really live in Central?

Samantha glanced at her watch and sighed. "My lunch break is over, I'll see ya, Edward." She stood slowly and bowed slightly. "It's been a pleasure talking with you."

Edward stared at her, "You're not leaving, are you?"

"Well, traditionally, after lunch I go back to work." She turned to leave.

"Hey, Sam," Edward said.

She turned and looked at him.

"Come to Winry's for dinner tonight, okay?"

"Why?"

"Just be there. Can you do that?"

"I wouldn't be expecting to see me," She said. With that, she left him to his own wonderings; and much to his displeasure, she had also stiffed him with the check.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter THREE**

As the sun sank into the horizon later that evening, Edward gazed out across the wide yard of Rockbell's Automail Shop.

"Edward, dinner's almost ready!" Winry called. He frowned and ran hand through his hair. What did he care if she didn't show? It's not like he knew her that well anyway. And yet, it bothered him. He paced back and forth on the doorstep, watching the road over the hill for any sign of the girl.

"Edward! Get your ass in here!" Winry yelled.

Ed sighed and went inside. The blond automail mechanic was finishing setting the table, while Al chattered excitedly with his dark-haired date. She was tall and slender, with dark brown eyes and a dazzling smile. Hell, even Edward thought she was cute.

Alphonse looked up at him, tears at the corner of his eyes from laughing at something Colleen had said. "Brother, I thought you said you invited Samantha?"

Winry looked up from her obsessive placing of the utensils. "Samantha? Like the girl who works at the bookstore?"

Alphonse nodded while Edward scowled.

"She's nice," Winry said.

"Apparently she doesn't have time in her busy schedule to come and have dinner with us," Edward said. He took a seat next to Al.

"Sam wouldn't just not decide to show up," Colleen said.

Alphonse looked at her, puzzled. "You know her, Alu-chan?"

She nodded, "We're pretty good friends, I think."

"Yeah well, tell your _friend_ she stiffed me with the bill at lunch today."

"You're dating her?" Colleen asked. Edward's face turned bright red.

"Of course not! We just had lunch! It wasn't like that at all!"

"She's probably going to be apologizing to you for days. If that's the case."

"Brother's not that stubborn." Alphonse stated.

"No, but Sam's one of those people who can't stand it if she's wronged someone. This is going to kill her on the inside for a while. She'll pay you back Edward, don't worry."

Ed blinked. "Still, she should've come."

"Did she _say_ she was coming over?"

"Not in so many words, no-"

"What did she say, exactly?"

"She said not to expect to see her-"

"Well there you go!" Colleen exclaimed. Alphonse smiled,

"She has a point, brother."

A faint '_ding!'_ was heard from the kitchen. "Ooh that's the roast." Winry said as she left the room.

Colleen looked at Al, "So I guess Pinacco's still on that trip?" Alphonse nodded,

"Winry would've gone too, but for some reason Grandma Pinacco didn't want her to go."

Edward sighed and sat down. He fiddled with his spoon until he realized Colleen was staring at him with some weird sparkle in her eye.

"What the hell's your problem?" He asked, irritated.

"Oh, nothing." She used the same tone Sam had earlier today. Damn it, that meant she was up to something. Alphonse gave her a curious look, but her eyes kept up the 'I-know-something-you-don't' sparkle. Ed sent her a scowl and looked away.

"Alu-chan," Alphonse whispered into Colleen's ear, "Don't be planning something brash."

"I'm not planning anything, honest. I just think it's so cute!"

"Cute? What is?"

"Oh nothing my dear."

Alphonse blushed, and that ended the conversation.

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Back at the bookstore, Sam had fallen asleep in her chair. Carrie sighed.

She packed up her own purse and double-checked that she had everything. After a moment she stopped what she was doing and looked back at Sam. "I could just leave you there as decoration." She sighed again. Carrie then smacked Sam on the head with her purse. "_Wake up_!"

Sam awoke with a start and nearly tipped her chair over.

"What was _that_ for?" She asked, tucking her blond hair behind her ear.

"It's time to go home. Well, actually, _you_ should have gone home a couple of hours ago." Carrie was unrepentant.

"I felt bad about leaving you with the store by yourself," Sam said. Carrie patted Samantha on the head.

"Yeah I know."

Sam glanced up, "I'm glad Alu-chan is finally going out with Alphonse."

"They're _WHAT?_" Carrie exclaimed.

"I thought you knew?"

"No! When did this happen?"

"It was just their first date today. I only found out because they walked by the store window while you were in the back. She'll probably tell us all about it tomorrow."

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And Colleen _did_ tell them about it. She chattered excitedly, blushing occasionally, and she kept repeating how awesome Alphonse was. Carrie and Sam said they were excited for her, and were happy she was happy.

Colleen grinned, "Sam, Edward said that you stiffed him with the check the other day."

Samantha winced, "Yeah… You think he'll let me pay him back?"

"He was also really mad that you didn't come to dinner."

"Whoa, whoa hold the phone!" Carrie said. She stared at Sam in disbelief, "Edward Elric, _the_ Edward Elric, asked you to dinner?"

"Well… Yeah…"

"_And you didn't tell me?_"

"It' not like I went…"

"Why don't you people tell me anything?! And why wouldn't you go? The boy is frickin' _HOT_!"

"Well… I was helping you out with the store…I couldn't just leave you."

Carrie covered her face with her hand, "Sam… You're a sweetie, really, but if a hot guy asks you out, don't turn him down just to spend aimless ours in an empty bookstore!"

"He didn't ask me out!" Sam was blushing. "He invited me to have dinner at the Rockbell's, it wasn't a _date_." Colleen's eyes started to sparkle again.

"He was awful upset you weren't there." She said, trying to sound casual.

"I doubt it," Sam said- although her blush deepened a shade.

"Oh yus, Ed was in a tizzy."

Sam stood, looking down to hide her blush. "It's not like that! He's just a friend, I don't want to…to d-…. I think I left something in the back!" She scurried away into the back of the store.

Colleen and Carrie shared a look.

"I don't even know him!" She yelled from the other room. Colleen glanced out the window.

"Speak of the devil, there he is."

"Sam, get your teeny tushie out here!"Carrie yelled.

They watched him walk past the window without even glancing in, swinging his watch around on its chain. Colleen frowned.

"This doesn't work at all."

"What doesn't?" Carrie asked.

Colleen continued to watch Edward as he stopped to talk to someone. He laughed at what the man said to him. Carrie followed her gaze and caught the message.

Sam sighed as she sat on one of the boxes in the back storage room. She heard the tinkle of the bells over the door as someone left or entered. She sighed and leaned back. Edward was cute an all...but... Hell, who was she kidding? That boy _was _fine. But that didn't mean she had to _like, like _him, did it?

Carrie stepped through the doorway and looked at Sam. "You okay Sammy?"

"Yeah. It's just-"

"Good! Sorry about this though!" Carrie rushed in then and pushed the stack of boxes hovering above the little blond over, efficiently burying her with a surprised '_ERK!'_.

A muffled, "Carrie!" squeaked out form underneath the pile.

"I'm _really_ sorry Sam! Honest!"

Another squeak came from the pile.

The door jingled again.

"Hurry Edward! She's in trouble!" Colleen yelled, running in.

"You still haven't told me what the hell's _wrong_ Colleen!"

"She's...Er...She's...

"She's back here!" Carrie yelled. Colleen sighed with relief as they ran to the storage room. Upon entering, Colleen smacked herself in the forehead.

Edward's eyes widened and he began to dig through the pile. "Sam! Sam can you hear me?" He yelled. A pathetic hand twitched by a box as Samantha squeaked again.

"I thought you had a plan!" Colleen whispered furiously.

"Hey, it works, okay?" Carrie whispered back.

"Yeah but we don't want to _kill_ her!"

Edward grunted as he moved a heavy box off the pathetically twitching girl. "Samantha? Hey! Are you okay? Talk to me!" He placed his hand under the small of her back and lifted her up slightly, holding her close and examining her to make sure she was okay.

Samantha opened her green eyes and blinked slowly as Edward's face came into focus. She blushed.

"Um... Hi..." She said, her lips forming into an embarrassed smile.

"Are you okay?" Ed repeated, watching her carefully. She nodded slightly, pushing him away and stumbling to her feet. "How the hell'd you do that?" He asked, motioning with his hand at the immense pile of book-filled boxes.

"I- uh," Sam glanced at Carrie and sighed, "I was reaching for a top box without a ladder."

"Why would you do something so _stupid_?" Ed fumed. Sam winced.

"I-...I'm sorry it..."

"You could've been seriously hurt! Do you understand that?"

"Y-yes..."

Edward pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Edward...I..."

"No, don't." He looked away from her.

"It's my fault!" Carrie said, stepping forward. "I'm supposed to stack the boxes and I noticed they were a bit wobbly and I didn't say anything about it."

"You realize you could've cost Samantha dearly?"

"Yes, and I'm very sorry," Carrie dropped her eyes to the floor. Sam stared at her in disbelief.

Ed sighed.

"Edward," Sam put her hand on his arm. His golden eyes met her green ones. "Everyone did a something a little stupid. The important thing is that no one has been hurt. I'm very sorry I made you worry."

He stared at her. A faint blush began to color his cheeks. He dropped her gaze and ran his hand through his hair. "I wasn't_ that _worried. Besides, you're lucky that Colleen came to get me when she did."

Sam nodded and smiled, letting go of his arm. She turned and looked at the messenger in question. "Thank-you, Alu-chan."

Colleen shifted uncomfortably and smiled. "It was nothing."

Sam turned back to Edward and they stared at each other for a moment.

"Edward, thank-you very much for helping me get out."

Edward felt himself start to blush again. The absolute honesty in her voice...it...

Colleen sneezed.

Edward blinked and frowned. "I'll see you later, alright?"

Samantha inclined her head.

"And stay away from this room. It'll be the death of you, you know." Edward waved and exited the room first, and then the jingle of the bells signaled his departure from the store.

As soon as he was gone, Samantha, who was looking at the door with a smile plastered to her face said, "Carrie, why did you push those boxes over on me?"

Carrie laughed nervously. "About that..."

Sam turned and looked at Colleen. "You were in on it too."

Colleen shifted again, watching her toes. Sam sighed.

"Whatever the reason, and I have a good idea as to what it was..." She observed them both carefully, and said in a soft voice, "Don't so something silly. It wouldn't be good for anyone if your plan ended badly, so for our sakes...just give it up. Please." She left the room, and the bells jingled at the door as she made her departure as well.

"Well, that went well." Carrie said.

"Yeah. If you call getting ourselves caught 'well'."

"So... Does this mean we're going to give up on getting the two of them together?"

"...No...But I think we should be more subtle next time." Colleen said.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter FOUR**

For the next three weeks, Samantha and Edward saw very little of each other. He would pop in to the store occasionally, say hello, and leave. Likewise, Sam never went too far out of her way to see him. Much to Carrie and Colleen's vexation.

Colleen and Alphonse however, had been seeing increasingly more of each other. Alphonse would stop by the bookstore, pick up Colleen, and the two wouldn't return until much later that evening, laughing and blushing.

On one such night, Colleen suddenly fell silent. Alphonse tentatively put his arm around her.

"Are you alright?" He asked. She sighed.

"Yeah."

He stopped them. "Alu-chan, you don't _sound_ alright." She looked up into his soft eyes.

"It's just... "

Alphonse tilted his head.

"Don't you think that maybe Edward needs someone too?" Colleen asked.

"I'd like him to. I think it would make him really happy," Alphonse sighed, "But Brother's really stubborn. He wouldn't realize he liked someone unless you beat him over the head with it," He laughed.

"Alphonse," She paused, trying to word her question appropriately, "What if... what if we tried to... arrange someone for Edward?"

"Alu-chan-"

"No, I mean it. You think Sam's a nice girl, right?"

Alphonse nodded slowly. "But Brother doesn't see her like that."

"Yes, but... I think maybe there's potential for the two of them."

"You're not thinking of interfering?"

"Not really... Just an occasional nudge in the right direction. And I want you to help me."

Alphonse shook his head. "Brother wouldn't like it."

"But don't you see? If this works out, he'll have a girl to make him happy! And we don't have to do anything _major_...like I said...just a nudge here and there... He'll never know what hit him."

Alphonse frowned.

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"A picnic?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, Me, Alphonse, Winry, and Edward are going to be there," Colleen said, "I thought maybe you'd like to go."

"What about Carrie?" Sam asked, pointing at the girl in question.

Carrie shrugged, "I have to keep the shop open, but you don't have to be here."

Samantha considered it for a moment.

"I don't know Alu-chan, what if Carrie needs me?" Colleen made a sad face.

"Sam," Carrie said, "It's a tiny town, this bookstore won't get very many customers, you'll be fine to go! I promise!"

"Well... I...Okay... I guess."

"Great!" Colleen practically bounced with happiness. "Let's go find you an outfit!"

"Wait, what?!"

"We have to find you something to _wear,_ you silly!" Colleen patted Sam's head.

"Whoa no, this was not part of the deal!"

"Let's go!"

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"I feel like I've been raped." Samantha said as they headed up the hill to Winry's.

"Oh stop complaining, you look great!"

"Outfit rape!" Sam cried. "I miss my pants. Why did it have to be a skirt Alu-chan? Why?"

"Becaaaauuuse you look good." Colleen said it like it fixed everything. The automail shop came into view, and Alphonse, who was standing outside, waved at them. As they approached, he looked at Sam and raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

Edward opened the door and stepped outside, "Yo, Alphonse, Winry said-" He stopped and stared at Sam. Then he laughed.

"I've been raped." She said, looking down.

He calmed himself down, though he was still out of breath,"Uh-huh..."

"She did it." Sam pointed at Colleen.

Edward and Alphonse turned to look at Colleen.

"I did no such thing!" She said, putting her hands on her hips. "You're just mad because I made you wear a skirt!"

"Rapage!" Sam cried.

Alphonse linked his arm with Colleen's and they went inside together. Sam could've sworn that just before Colleen left, she whispered, "Good Luck!".

Edward smiled and ruffled Sam's hair. "It looks good on ya."

"Bah. My innocence has been defiled and that's all you have to say?"

He laughed again.

"Oh shush." She said as she went inside as well.

The first thing she noticed as she entered the house was that it smelled like oil. The second thing was that there were random automail parts strung about. Clearly Winry wasn't keeping house while Pinacco was away.

"When's she coming back anyway?" Sam asked.

"Who?" Edward asked, entering the door behind her.

"Pinacco."

"Oh, uh... In just a few days I think."

"I see."

Winry stepped out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a rag. "There you two are!" She said. "I sent Colleen and Alphonse down to the place we're having the picnic already, so you guys can head down there if you like."

"Yes, Captain Winry!" Samantha saluted her.

Edward and Winry just stared.

"Right... Well... I'll be down there in just a moment." Winry said. She went up the stairs.

"Captain Winry?" Edward asked, a slight smile playing on his lips.

Sam shrugged, "The mood was too serious."

"No it wasn't."

"That's your opinion."

"And it's the right opinion."

"Also wrong!" Sam said in a sing-song voice. "Honestly Edward, opinions can't be wrong or right. They're opinions!"

"But you just said my opinion was wrong!" He accused.

"Alright, now you're just not making any sense at all."

Edward started to say something, but stopped. He sighed and put his hand over his face. "Let's just get going, shall we?"

As they exited the house, Edward watched Samantha as she trotted happily along.

"Sam?"

"Hmm?" She looked up at him, the sunlight glinting off her hair.

"Why is it I've only ever seen you serious once? The rest of the time you act...Well... You act like a little kid."

She stopped. "Because, I don't_ like_ to be serious. And I find the more childlike I am, the more people want to be around me, to tell me about themselves, to confide in me. I'm serious when I need to be. But otherwise I prefer to be more... Happy."

He watched her for a moment. "You're actually serious right now."

She nodded, not breaking eye contact.

He ran a hand through his hair. "How is it you always manage to surprise me?"

"You never ask about me. The less you know the more you'll be surprised."

"I guess you're right."

"Of course I am, I'm a woman aren't I?" She winked at him. Against his will he blushed slightly.

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?"

"Well... Everyone knows women are the smarter sex."

"Then why isn't the Full Metal Alchemist a woman?"

"Oh, she is."

"You are _so_ gonna pay for that!" Edward laughed.

"You gotta catch me first!" Samantha yelled over her shoulder as she took off running.

"_You just wait until I catch up!_" He yelled as he sprinted after her.

"I've got a long wait then, don't I?"

Samantha zig-zagged to try and ditch him, but he was gaining quickly. As a drastic measure she stopped, turned around, looked him dead in the eye and yelled, "Who knew someone so short could run so fast?" Before sprinting off again.

"God damn you!" He shouted furiously.

At last, he jumped and tackled her to the ground. They rolled twice, until he was sitting on top of her. Panting heavily, he said,

"There. _Now_ you're gonna pay."

Samantha laughed.

Edward blinked hard.

The way her face looked just then... When she was laughing. Her green eyes had sparkled in the sunlight, and the flush coloring her cheeks was... Her hair was a wreck, but somehow that only made her look more...more... He suddenly remembered she was in a skirt.

That didn't help.

He blushed and leaned in closer to her face.

"Sam..." He said.

Her cheeks turned slightly redder as she realized how close he was. "Yes?" She asked.

He leaned in closer.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter FIVE**

"You have a leaf in your hair," He said as he swiftly removed the offending foliage. He then rolled himself off of her, stood, and dusted off his pants.

Sam sat up and straightened her hair out. "That was some sucky revenge there, Edward."

"Oh shut up. I don't hit girls."

"That's _sexist_!" She accused.

"What?!"

"Girls can stand to take a hit, just like guys, don't be treating us special!"

Ed smirked. "Right. Well, it would've looked bad if you would have made it to the picnic with a black eye."

"Don't talk to me you sexist pig."

"Do you _want_ me to hit you?"

"Hell no."

"Then what's the problem here?"

"There isn't one." She looked at him and smiled. He put his hand over his face.

"Why is it that after I talk to you I'm always confused?"

"Because you take me too literally."

Edward let out a frustrated sigh and began to pay absolute attention to picking grass of his shirt. He felt something grab his hand and looked up. He found himself staring into Samantha's green eyes.

"Congratulations."

"O-on what?" He asked, blushing.

"On getting your bodies back."

"It's...a little late for that, isn't it?"

"I figured I'd say it now, while it means something," She said softly. The absolute honesty in her voice caught him off-guard.

"Sam..." His eyes softened.

She abruptly turned around. "Well, let's get going to that picnic, shall we?" As she

started to pull away from him, he grabbed her hand.

"Thanks." He said.

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"There they are!" Colleen said as Sam and Edward finally clambered down the grassy hill to the rest of the group. "Where have you been?" She yelled, running to hug Samantha.

Sam laughed and pointed to the taller blond man standing next to her. "The stupid idiot doesn't know when to let something go."

"You started it!" He shot back.

"But you just _had_ to finish it, didn't you?"

"Look, we wouldn't have been fighting at all if you hadn't-"

"Enough!" Colleen said as she waved her hands in the air. "No more arguing! It's happy picnic time now!"

Sam threw a fist in the air and shouted, "_PICNIC, YES_!" Ed laughed and ruffled her hair. Sam looked up at him and growled.

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A few weeks later, Edward was getting ready to go to Winry's when the phone rang. Adjusting his shirt, he tilted his head to the side and listened as Alphonse answered it.

"Hello?" Al asked. "Yes. Oh! Hi Mr. Mustang!"

Ed made a face. Mustang? What was _he_ doing calling?

"Yes, he's here. Brother! Phone for you!"

"Tell him I'm not here."

"He can hear you."

Ed sighed and took the phone. "Yo," He said.

"_Hey FullMetal,_" Mustang said.

"It's not FullMetal anymore."

"_True. But I can't help but remember you as the FullMetal shrimp._"

"_SHRIMP? WHO'RE YOU CALLIN' A SHRIMP YOU BASTARD?"_

Mustang laughed. "_Hey, Ed. Have you found yourself a girlfriend yet?"_

"...Why?" Edward didn't like where this was going.

"_Well, as it so happens I know a nice young lady here in Central who would be absolutely overjoyed to meet you. She quite a looker."_

"I'm not interested."

"_That's okay. I'm gonna bring her out there to meet you."_

"You... you're... _WHAT_?" Ed nearly dropped the phone. Alphonse gave him a curious look.

"_Yeah. She's a big fan of yours. Wants you to teach her alchemy._"

"...I...I...I can't!"

"_Why not? You're not gonna push her away before you even get to know her, are you?_"

"Well, no-"

"_Then there shouldn't be a problem._" Roy sounded smug.

Out of desperation, Ed said the first thing that popped into his head. "_My girlfriend wouldn't like it!_" Alphonse stared at him, wide-eyed.

"Girlfriend?" He and Roy asked at the same time. "Since when do you have a girlfriend?"

"Since...uh...since... awhile ago." Ed motioned frantically at Al to keep quiet.

"_...What's her name?_" Roy asked questioningly.

"H-her name?" Ed froze. Oh crap.

"_She does have a name, doesn't she?_"

"O-of course she does! It...it's... uh...Sam. Her name is Sam." Ed silently kicked himself. Alphonse looked like he was caught between being mortified and bursting out with laughter.

"_And she's real?_"

"Yes she's real!"

"_Then you won't mind if I stop by and meet her?_"

"No!...Wait, what?!"

"_Excellent. See you in a few days, Edward._" Roy hung up. Ed pulled the phone away from his ear and looked at it.

"...Shit. Sam's gonna totally kick my ass."

_**A/N: This one's kinda short...heh... Sorry. -sweatdrop- But oooh my! Edward's gotten himself into a bit of trouble, hasn't he? Will Sam go along with the scheme? Or is she gonna let Edward get humiliated? ...Okay, so she's not mean enough to not help him. If she didn't help him, she'd be a total bitch, right? **_

_**Right. Anywho, sorry I haven't updated recently. I mean, first I get sick, and then I jammed my darn finger so bad it hurt like the devil to type. Someone's out to get me, I think.**_

_**-bows- Thankyou for reading!**_

_**Edo-chan**_


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter SIX**

"Let me get this straight," Sam said as she leaned against the counter of the bookstore. "You told this Roy guy that we were... _dating_?"

"Uh-huh."

"... So... He's coming down here. To meet me. Your 'girlfriend'. Which means I have to save your ass from being humiliated and otherwise caught in a dead lie to this guy. Who I don't know. And therefore have no urge to lie to."

Ed sighed and ran a hand through his blond hair. "That's the gist of it, yes."

"...Why the _HELL_ would you tell him something like that?"

"I was under pressure! He was going to try and play matchmaker!" Ed threw his arms in the air. "Do you have any idea the kind of hell he'd put me through?"

"Still, that was _stupid_! Why not tell him Winry or something?"

"I don't know! Like I said I was under pressure and your name was the first one to pop into my head!"

"Gaaah! You're stupid!" She hid her face in her hands. "I don't want to date you, dammit!"

Ed frowned. That comment stung. He quickly shrugged off the feeling. "Look, are you gonna help me or not?"

Her green eyes looked up at him. "Of course I am. You can't get out of this by yourself."

He snorted. "You say that like you know me."

"You know I'm right. Unless you want Carrie to pose as me?"

"Okay, I need you," He replied quickly.

"So, what do I do?"

"Your job is simple. Just act like a girlfriend."

Sam stared at him for a minute. "Ed... I hate to tell you this..."

"What?"

"I've never been someone's girlfriend!"

Ed smacked himself in the forehead. "That's _great_!" He said sarcastically.

"Hey. You got yourself into this mess. Just be glad I'm helping you."

"Yeah, yeah," He sighed. "I've never _had_ a girlfriend before, so I think that if we do anything out-of-the-ordinary; people won't say anything about it."

Sam took a deep breath. "How long do we have until this Mustang guy shows up?"

"A week."

"...Wonderful. Who knows about this?"

"Just me, you, Al, and Mustang."

"We're going to have to tell everyone, you know that right?"

Ed groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I can't believe I did this. Of all the stupid stuff I've gotten myself into over the years, this one is probably the most unnecessary and the biggest headache."

"Wow, two in one."

Ed rolled his golden eyes at her.

"So, if we're going to be dating, I have some standards." Samantha crossed her arms and put on a serious face.

"You're kidding me, right?"

"Nope," She held up a finger and waggled it, "First off, I don't loan money. Even to boyfriends."

Ed raised an eyebrow. Was she being serious?

"Second off," She continued, "I don't do stripper routines for your friends. I didn't get this butt just so _anyone_ could enjoy it." She turned to the side and snapped her fingers. "Ever heard the phrase 'can't touch this'? Yeah." She smacked her butt and walked back into the storeroom.

Ed blushed and watched her walk away. "You're freakin' insane," He said. Sam stuck her head back through the door, a cookie hanging from her mouth.

"Insane, am I?" She said around the cookie.

"Yes. Insane. I can't believe, that of all people, I said _your_ name." He shook his head in disbelief.

Sam frowned at him. "Well, I guess this means you're secretly in love with me," She stepped carefully back to the counter with an armful of cookies. "Made just this morning," She said.

Ed rolled his eyes again at her.

"Oh yeah. I'm so in love with you I can't stand it," He said sarcastically. He took a cookie and put it in his mouth. "Did you make these?"

"No, Carrie did." Ed choked and spit the cookie out.

"Is it poison?!"

Sam gave him a withering look. "When did you two get such a grudge against each other?"

"Since that one day I came in here and she told me my pants weren't tight enough."

Sam laughed. "Oh-oh man! I _missed_ that?" She tried to compose herself when Edward sent her a well-deserved scowl. (A few hours later, when Sam brought that part of the conversation up to Carrie, she said: "They never are. Him and his baggy pants; he lets it all hang low.")

"Carrie's a bigger freak than you are," He said crankily.

"Jealous, Edward?"

He scowled harder in an emphatic _NO. _Sam smiled. Popping another cookie into her mouth, she said, "So, what happened after Carrie said your pants weren't tight enough?"

"She tried to convince me to use alchemy to make 'em tighter."

Sam choked on her cookie and started laughing. She leaned on the counter for support.

"Shuddup!" Ed growled. Sam placed a hand over her mouth, silencing her laughter. Though her shoulders still shook with the repressed giggles. "Look, I didn't _ask_ for her to say stuff like that to me."

"I know, but it's still freakin' hilarious."

Ed glared. Sam grinned.

"I'm taking my business elsewhere." He turned and headed for the door.

"Taking your business elsewhere? You didn't _buy_ anything!"

He stopped, turned around, and pointed an accusing finger at her. "And I never will!"

"_Well_. In that case, you'll never see your left shoe again!"

"Is that a threat?"

Sam's eyes narrowed in mock-seriousness. "It's a promise." Ed rolled his eyes. Putting his hand on the doorknob, he said,

"We're going to dinner tomorrow. Be ready at eight."

"Dinner? Shorty say what?"

"_I'M NOT SHORT!_" Sam put her hands up.

"Okay, okay. I know. We have to start going out, blah, blah blah. Appearances and such."

Ed nodded curtly. Grumbling something that sounded like, "...taller than you are..." He opened the door, and left the store in a huff.

**_A/N: Hallo! Edo-chanluv here! She hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! Thanks SOOOO much for the nice reviews!! Edo-chan greatly appreaciates them! _**

**_So, it appears that Sammaloo is going to help our dear Edward! Thank goodness. She had Edo-chan worried for a second there. Okay. Not really, since Edo is writing this story. _**

**_Anyway... Edo-chan loves it when people want to read more of her story! It motivates her! RAWR!_**

**_Thankyou as always for your patience with Edo's erratic updating._**

_**Much Love,  
Edo-chan**_


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter SEVEN**

Samantha sat in her favorite chair in the reading area of the bookstore the next day, writing. She glanced up at Carrie, who was wiping the counter of the store down. Business for the day had been kind of slow. Sam glanced back down at her writing. She sighed and folded the paper carefully into her pocket.

"Hey, Carrie," Sam said.

"Hmm?" Carrie answered without looking up.

"I'm gonna head out a few minutes early, okay?"

Carrie nodded, still focused on dusting. "Uh huh. You know you're always free to cut out at any time."

Sam tapped her fingers restlessly. She sighed. "Carrie... Uh..."

Carrie's eyes lifted to look at the frustrated blond.

"Uh... See... I'm sort of... Going on a date tonight-" Sam stopped as Carrie dropped the duster. It seemed abnormally loud as it clattered on the counter.

"A date?" Carrie asked, stunned. Her next sentence came out in an excited squeal. "_Oh, my, GOD!_ We've got to get you all dressed up! Oh, oh! I've got to call Colleen and we've got to get your makeup done! Oh there's so much to _do!_ And your_ hair!_"

Sam stared wide-eyed. "_WHOAH._ It's just a dinner with Edward, you don't need t-"

"_EDWARD? Are you serious_? Oh my God!" Carrie clapped her hands together. "When's your date?"

"In three hours, but listen, I don't want to be your science experim-"

"Three hours? Ugh! That's not enough time! I'll go call Alu!" Carrie rushed off to the storeroom to get the phone. Sam stared after her for a moment. She blinked.

"_WAIT!_ Carrie! C'mon don't do this to me! Carrie! It's just dinner! It's not even a real date!"

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Two hours later, Edward realized something with a jolt.

He had no idea where he was picking Sam up at. He jumped off the couch he'd been napping on and strode to the phone. With a sigh, he dialed the store's number. If she wasn't at the store, maybe Carrie would be able to tell him Sam's address. After a few rings, he blinked in surprise when Colleen answered the phone.

"_Hallu_?" She said.

"U-uh... Colleen?"

"_Yup. Can I help you sir or madame_?"

"... It's Ed."

"_I see. We're very sorry sir or madame, but the store has closed early for this evening, seeing as one of our employees has a rather pressing engagement at the moment-_"

"Colleen. Is Sam there?"

"-_so we do greatly apologize for any inconvenience on the part of the customer. Please try calling back tomorrow._"

"...Colleen..." Ed frowned. He heard Sam whining in the background.

"_Guuuuuuuys... I don't wanna put makeup on!_"

He then heard Carrie's commanding voice.

"_Too bad. Now sit still or I might blind you permanently."_

There was a terrified cry.

Colleen's voice returned, "_Your equipment will be ready at eight o' clock sharp. Thank you, and please call again._"

"_Stop crying!_" Carrie yelled.

"Uh...," Ed started. There was a click on the other end of the line as Colleen ended their conversation. He pulled the phone away from his ear and looked at it. He raised a sardonic eyebrow and frowned; and with a sigh he placed the phone back on its resting place. He checked his watch. He then strode back over to the couch.

"... Forty-five minutes until I go pick her up. Still plenty of time for another nap." He yawned, sighed, and flopped onto the piece of furniture. Alphonse stuck his head in from the kitchen and said,

"Shouldn't you be getting ready?"

"Neh. I have time," Ed replied, his voice muffled by the cushion of the couch.

"Brother..."

"All I have to do is get a shower, get dressed, put my shoes on, and walk down there."

"And you can do this all in... Forty-five minutes?"

"... I think I'll go take a shower." Ed jumped off the couch and rushed up the stairs. Jumping over stuff in the wreckage that was his room, he grabbed some decent-looking clothes and rushed to the bathroom. He showered quickly, grumbling to himself about how little time he had. He then dressed hastily, pulling his pants on as he rushed out of the bathroom. He grabbed his jacket and pushed his arms through the sleeves, his eyes searching the floor for his shoes. He spied one of them and grabbed it. Pulling it on, he hastily cast his gaze about the room for it's brother.

"Alphonse!" Ed yelled.

"Yeah?"

"Where the hell's my left shoe?!"

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Sam stared at herself in the mirror in the storage room. "I look like a whore!" She choked.

"You do not," Colleen said, "You look great."

"We didn't do much,"Carrie said.

"Yeah, just added some blush, lipstick, eyeliner, mascara, changed your clothes, brushed and straightened your hair, and picked out some shoes."

"And that's not _a lot_?" Sam asked incredulously.

"Hey. We could've done _way_ more," Carrie said.

Sam looked at her reflection again. The dark eyeliner made her green eyes look wider, and brighter. Freakish. The mascara made her lashes fuller and longer. She thought she looked like a wide-eyed raccoon. Her lips were a much brighter pink- unnatural to her. Her shirt was a pale blue, and Sam felt it was revealing way too much cleavage. Her skirt came up too high too.

Her hair was the only thing she was halfway satisfied with. It hung about her shoulders in a frizzy mess, but at least they hadn't wanted to curl it.

She stiffened as the bell on the front door jingled.

"Hey," Ed yelled, "Anyone home?"

Sam's shoulders slumped. "Can I go home and change first?" Colleen gave an exasperated sigh and shoved her out the storeroom door. Sam sighed and tried to smile at Edward. He looked so great; and she knew she looked bad.

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Edward sucked in his breath when she came out. He blinked hard, feeling a blush rise to his cheeks. He wasn't sure what he'd been expecting when he'd started down the road to pick her up... but it wasn't _this_.

A faint outline of dark makeup around her eyes made them shine brightly in the light. They seemed wider, more beautiful. He wanted to just... lose himself in them. Her cheeks were flushed, giving her face just the right touch of color. Her lips were a sensual pink, set in a slight pout. Her shirt was a cerulean color, with long sleeves and a neckline that sank a few inches below her collarbone. Her skirt ended just above her knees, revealing long, beautiful legs.

Ed swallowed hard, consciously aware that they were being watched by her overprotective and easily excitable friends.

"So... Uh.. You ready to go?" He asked.

She nodded shyly. "Yeah. We definitely need to get out of here before they decide to dress me up some more."

Ed smiled. "Let's go then." He held out his arm. Sam smiled softly and took it. He felt himself blush more as her delicate hands grasped his arm.

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When they had gone, Colleen and Carrie looked at each other.

"Oh yeah, we're _that_ good," Carrie said.

"Dude. If that boy wanted her any more, I wouldn't have let her leave with him. Did you see the look on his face when she walked out?"

"Yup. Like I said, girl, we're just _that_ good."

"So what'd Roy say when you called him?" Colleen asked.

"He said he'd be more than happy to help out. I just didn't think he'd call Ed so soon. I mean, it was barely four hours since I called him that he called me back to say that Ed had taken the bait."

Colleen's face fell. "I feel like a bad person for scheming like this." Carrie patted her arm gently.

"It's for a good cause. Will some cookies help?"

"Yes. Yes they will."

_**A/N: Wow, Edo-chan's been updating a lot recently! Three times in one week! ...Edo-chan just has a lot of spare time on her hands right now.**_

_**GASP! WHAT IS THIS? All this scheming was the doing of Colleen and Carrie? And Edo-chan is sure a Mr. Alphonse was involved in there somehow. Well, this can't be good at all, can it?**_

_**At any rate, Edo-chanluv is rather fond of this chapter, simply because she got to write the differences in the male and female preparations for a date. It amused her to write this.**_

_**Thanks!**_

And a special thanks to those who have reviewed and/or added me to their favorite/alert lists!

Much Love,

_**Edo-chanluv**_


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter EIGHT**

Colleen skipped happily up to the Elric home; a basket of cookies dangling from her arm. She stopped at the door. With a tentative knock, she stepped back and waited patiently. The doorknob turned from the inside, and Alphonse opened the door.

"Yes? Oh! Colleen!" His face spread into a wide smile. "Come in!" He stepped aside to allow her entrance. She bounced into his home. When he closed the door behind her, she spun around and held the basket of cookies up.

"Carrie sent me to give you these- for giving us Mr. Mustang's number."

Alphonse's smile disappeared. "Ah. So that's why Ed's..."

"Yeah... When Carrie told him what we were trying to do, Mustang was only too happy to help." Her head tilted to the side in thought. "Though honestly I'm surprised Ed took the bait so easily."

"Alu-chan..," Alphonse said, shifting uneasily, "I don't think this is such a good idea. I mean, if Brother finds out that this was all a big scheme... He's going to be really mad." He took the cookies from her anyway.

"I know. But... Ed needs someone in his life, you know? And... Well... Sam's..."

Alphonse frowned, "Is something wrong?" She shook her head.

"No, it's nothing. Don't worry about it."

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Edward and Samantha took their seats in the restaurant. It was a quaint little family-owned place. Not that you'd find much else in Resembool. The table was set beside the window, a good distance away from the other customers. Their waitress was one of the owners of the place: a portly older woman, with crinkles at the corner of her eyes and lines on her mouth from many years of laughter. As the lady laid their menus before them, she smiled at Edward.

"Well, if it isn't the oldest Elric boy. I haven't seen you in a while."

Ed smiled in return. "I know, but Winry's been cooking a lot recently. I haven't had much of a need to eat out."

"Well. That's still no excuse to not stop by and see me every now and again," She said with a twinkle in her eye. "But oh my! It seems you have a date this evening!" Ed blushed. She cast her gaze over Sam. Samantha fidgeted uncomfortably, unused to such scrutiny.

"You're that nice girl that works in that bookstore, aren't you?" The old lady asked.

Sam nodded shyly. "Yes, I am. And... You're name is Mrs. Saunders, isn't it?"

Mrs. Saunders smiled. "That's right! But you can call me Ruby. Almost everyone does." She waggled her finger at Sam, "I remember you because you helped me out that one day when I didn't have anyone to help unload supplies into the store. I never got to tell you how much I appreciated it."

Ed looked at Sam with confusion clear on his face. They knew each other?

"It was no big deal Mrs. Saunders. I was happy to help." Sam smiled a warm, genuine smile.

Ruby leaned over, and with a wink she said to Ed, "Don't let this one slip away. She's a keeper."

Ed blushed and laughed nervously. "Well... uh..." He looked at Sam. "Do you know what you want to order?"

She nodded, and Ruby took their orders and their menus. With a final wink and a suggestive nod at Sam, she bustled off to get their order ready. Ed sighed and leaned on his arm.

"I keep forgetting how long you've lived here," He said. When she didn't respond, he asked, "What are you thinking about?"

Her eyes wandered over to meet his. "Honestly?"

"Yeah."

"I was thinking about whether or not you'd actually kick my ass if I ordered milk."

"... You're kidding right?"

"No. Seriously."

Ed sighed. "You're always trying to find new ways to piss me off."

"Not _intentionally_." Sam batted her eyelashes innocently.

"Don't give me that crap."

"Okay, so you're a fun person to make mad. Do you _see_ yourself when you react to stuff? It's hilarious." She raised an eyebrow when he made a face.

"Thanks," He said sarcastically, "It's great to know that I entertain you."

"Look, if you want people to stop picking on you, stop reacting to them. The whole reason people say stuff to make you mad is for the reactions. Deny them the reaction, and they'll stop bugging you."

Ed's brow furrowed. "You actually know what you're talking about, don't you?"

She shrugged. "I grew up with people who love to pick on people. My dad is the biggest tease you'll ever meet. Ugh, you even mention a guy around him and the dating jokes never _stop!_" She laughed, obviously remembering something. "And my mom? Oh man, she's an easy target. She's always doing something silly. And one Christmas, dad decided to freak her out. See, she's afraid of nutcrackers-" She laughed at the look Ed had on his face. "Yeah, I know right?

"Anyway, my mom's kind of creeped out by them. So one year for Christmas my dad bought her a nutcracker and stood it up by the tree. So when she woke up in the morning and saw it there, she totally _freaked_." Sam's voice became more adult as she mimicked her mom, "'Fred! That's not funny! You know how much I hate those things!'...She was totally laughing the whole time. "

Sam started to laugh, and Ed laughed with her.

"So the year after that, my mom bought some fake dog poop and put it in a box. Told my dad that was his present. Oh man, the look on his _face!_ Then she made me bring out his real present." Sam sighed, her eyes glittering with happy memories of the past.

Suddenly she blushed and looked down. "I'm sorry, I'm rambling. You probably don't want to hear all this."

"What? No, I don't mind," Ed said earnestly, "I don't really have a lot of memories with my family. So..." He shrugged, "I guess I like hearing about your memories. It's great to hear you had a happy childhood." She smiled, but didn't continue her stories.

"Do you have any brothers?" Ed prompted.

"Yeah. Two of 'em. Both older than me."

"Oh yeah? What are their names?"

"Lance and Brock. I'm always terrified when Lance goes outside. He's so thin I'm afraid he'll blow away." She laughed. "He's always complaining about how he needs to put on weight. He even used to drink this _nasty_ protein shake stuff. It smelled decent, but when he mixed it up it looked like sludge. He said the taste wasn't far off the sludge mark either."

"Does anyone in your family know alchemy?" Ed asked, suddenly curious.

"Well... Brock knows the basics. Enough to fix a few toys- he's got five kids now. And my grandma here in Resembool knows a bit more than him. But my grandpa... he's hopeless."

"You have family here?!"

"...Ed... I've lived here four years. I'm eighteen. I would've had to have moved here when I was _fourteen_. You think my parents would let me move out and live by myself at fourteen? _Hell no_."

"So... Why'd you move out?"

"My grandparents needed an extra hand around the house. With me around to help out, it took a lot off their shoulders. "

"Do you have your own place now?"

"Yeah, but I still stop by and visit them a few times a week."

Ed sat in silence for a moment, contemplating this new information. Of course she'd have family here. Why didn't he realize how young she was when she moved here?

"So you don't know alchemy?" He asked.

"Eh... I know the theory. Equivalent exchange, and all that stuff; but I'd never be able to actually transmute something."

"I could teach you, if you're interested."

Sam put her hands up. "No thanks. I don't want any of your evil juju."

"...Evil juju?"

"Ah. I forgot you don't speak my language sometimes. Evil juju translates to: I don't have half the brain power to understand all that alchemical nonsense. Not everyone can be born a genius, Edward." She rolled her eyes at him.

They lapsed into silence as Ruby brought them their food and drinks. When the old woman had left, Ed asked,

"So... Since you work in a bookstore, does that mean you like to read?"

"Oh God yes!" Sam laughed. "You just never see me with a book nowadays because Carrie won't let me bring them to work anymore."

"Why not?"

"She says I get 'distracted'."

Ed stared at her.

"What?" Sam asked.

"You _do_ get distracted easily."

"...I do not."

"Sam..."

"I reject your reality!" She huffed. Ed smiled and shook his head. He took a quick sip of his drink.

"Tell me more about your family," He said.

"Well... jeeze... where to start? Uh..." She thought for a moment. Her green eyes lit up with excitement. "Even though we live in the city, my entire family are country people at heart. Except Lance. But he's a freak. The 'black sheep' of the family." She pushed food around on her plate with her fork.

"You must miss them a lot," Ed said softly.

"Not really... Well... Sometimes I guess. But I see them every now and again. Holidays and such."

Ed nodded, taking another sip of his drink.

"My mom's a total clutz. You know that whole 'graceful, beautiful, angel-like' things moms are supposed to have?"

He nodded again.

"Yeah... My mom wasn't in line when they handed that stuff out." She laughed. "She's always tripping, or managing to injure herself somehow. Honestly I don't know how she's lived this long." Sam smiled and gazed distantly out the window. "Mom is always there for me. She always knows when something's wrong. What can I say? She's a mom."

Edward watched Samantha carefully. This was a side of her he'd never seen before. She seemed so at peace talking about her family. His heart ached for his own mother.

Sam's gaze softened. "Yeah... she is a great mom."

_I didn't know she could be so... cute, _Ed thought.

She snapped back to reality with a jolt. "So..." Sam said, "Think this Roy guy will be convinced?"

"I hope so," Ed said. He cast his gaze down to his plate. "I'm sorry I got you in to this. We might have to act like a couple for awhile, you know." Sam shrugged.

"I don't mind. I mean," She blushed, talking quickly, "You need my help. I can't just refuse a friend, you know?"

"Still, you know. You didn't _have_ to."

Sam shook her head. "Besides, I consider this paying you back for making you pay for my lunch awhile back."

"You _remembered_ that?" Ed asked incredulously. "I totally forgot!"

"Yeah. Well. It's been eating away at me for awhile now."

"You realize I'm paying for this dinner, too?"

"... You'll let me pay, half, right?"

"What kind of date would this be if I let you pay half?"

"Please?"

"No!"

Their argument lasted until they had finished eating. Even though Samantha insisted on paying, Ed wouldn't let her. With a smile and a wave to Ruby and the other waitresses, they left the restaurant.

_**A/N: Hmm... Edward thinks she's cute. Oh ho ho!**_

_**Sorry her lovely readers, but Edo-chan won't be able to post for the rest of this weekend. DESPAIR! But she'll be back posting next week. LESS DESPAIR!**_

_**What is this madness? Alphonse is scheming? Homai. Hey, and when is Pinacco coming back? Edo-chan misses the pint-sized lady. Perhaps she'll appear in next chapter. PINACCO! WE MISS YOU!**_


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter NINE

Edward offered to walk Samantha home instead of the bookstore. She consented, knowing she'd have to give directions the whole way. The night was cool and quiet. The road they were on divided two fields, and after a certain distance the road would pass by a river and a slight bit of forest. That meant they were getting close, Sam had said.

The birds had tucked in for the night, leaving only the crickets and the cicadas to infuse the night with music. Fireflies flashed here and there, covering their path with bright, greenish lights.

Edward stopped walking and reached up and caught one in his hand. He then showed it to Sam. She laughed and let the bug crawl on to her hand from his.

"I love fireflies. My grandpa and I used to go outside and catch them in the summer." She said as she watched the bug journey across her palm to the tip of her finger, glowing occasionally. Then the firefly lifted off her finger and flew off into the night sky; joining the other millions of twinkling lights. Her eyes followed it.

Ed put his hands in his pockets, thinking. "So you really like fireflies huh?" He commented.

"Yeah," Sam said, her eyes still staring off into the distance, "My grandpa never called them fireflies though. Growing up, they were always lightning bugs to me."

"Really?"

"My grandpa was always a bit eccentric." She said with a smile. "When I went back to Central and told the other kids about my summer, they always went, 'Lightning bugs? What the hell is a lightning bug?' That was when I realized that sometimes people living in the country like this have different names than the city for stuff."

She looked back at Edward to find him watching her with a keen interest. She blushed and turned away.

"I've been rambling, haven't I? Sorry."

"I told you before that I don't mind-" He stopped and didn't continue. Sam turned around again.

"Ed? What are you doing?"

He was crouched on the ground, stacking rocks into a pile. His hands clapped together, and he placed them on the pile of stones. There was a flash of blue light, and in place of the stones sat a glass jar. Ed stood, dusted his hands off, and cocked his head to the side. "I need some fire-uh, lightning bugs." He strode over to the nearest tree, and with a clap of his hands produced a small bug net from the tree's trunk. Held it in his hand, testing its weight and balance like he was testing a sword.

"Here." He tossed it to Sam. She caught it, and an odd look crossed her face.

"What on earth do you need fireflies for?"

"You'll see. Just catch some."

Sam shook her head and tossed his net back to him.

"Hey, it'll be worth th-"

"_I_ don't need a net," She said with pride. Ed rolled his eyes.

"Are you sure? The net's pretty handy."

"Well, bare hands are handy too."

"But a net would make it a lot easier on you; seeing as how you're in a skirt."

She stuck her tongue out at him. "I can do better than you can. Even in a skirt."

"Fine," He said, "I won't use a net either." The net was tossed to the side.

"Oh-ho! Do I smell a contest coming on?"

"The only thing you're smelling is the stench of your own defeat." He smirked.

"Le' gasp!"

"Shut up and catch some damn bugs!"

Sam stuck her tongue out at him again and grabbed the jar.

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"Okay, so we have the bugs," Sam said, holding up the glass container. The lights of the fireflies they'd captured lit it up like a lantern. "Now what?"

"Hold the jar still," Ed instructed. He clapped his hands together and placed them on the jar. There was a flash of blue light, and Sam watched in stunned amazement as the jar molded itself into the shape of a glass rose. The glow from the flying insects spread around the bulb of the rose, making it glow with an eerie green light.

"I... Wow." Sam turned the rose around in her hands. Its surface was smooth, and every curve of the petals was intricately designed to form every crevasse a real rose petal would have. "Oh wow... it's... amazing..." Her eyes sparkled with delight.

Ed blushed and scratched his head, "I just thought... maybe you needed something. I mean, that's what b-" He stumbled over the word for a moment, "boyfriends do, right? Give their... their..." He swallowed. "Girlfriends gifts."

Sam looked from the rose to his face. "Yeah. It's... I'm sure that the Mustang guy won't be able to _not_ believe us after he sees this. Ed nodded, and the trekked back to the road.

"You really should learn alchemy," Ed said.

"Nah. Besides, I don't think I'd ever be able to pull off a transmutation." They passed the small patch of forest. Their destination was nearing.

"Why not? It's pretty easy." Ed put his hands together, "That is, _with_ a circle. Without a circle it's a little more complicated than that."

"Showoff," Sam muttered, just loud enough for him to hear. He ignored her.

"Once you have the right runes down, you just have to focus on what w-..." He stopped, and playfully smacked himself in the forehead. "Of course! It takes focus!"

"Exactly. And I have no ability to focus on anything within a four second- Oh wow look at the stars!"

Ed laughed. Shaking his head, he looked down the abandoned road. "Is that your house?" He pointed.

"Yeah, that's it. It's not much, but... It's home."

The building was white, and was only one story high. Flowers sprouted in boxes beneath the windows and along the outside. It was a perfectly normal, two bedroom, one bathroom home. A white picket fence surrounded the home, and stretched into the back; creating a small backyard.

Ed tilted his head to the side. "It's definitely you."

"Eh? What's that mean?"

"Well..." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "It seems simple enough on the outside. The picket fence meaning the house is guarded, keeping the beautiful flowers from being touched by unwelcome hands. And when you look down into the intricate boards and wires and everything that makes up the house as a whole, it's really more complex and beautiful than you could ever imagine. Unless you knew your stuff, you could be guessing forever."

Sam blushed. Ed, seeming to realize what he just said aloud, blushed as well. He put his hands up and laughed nervously.

"Not that I was calling you beautiful of course, I mean- I- wait, I was just-"

Sam rolled her eyes at him. "It's okay Ed. I don't mind that you don't think I'm pretty." His face flushed more.

"But I... buh?" Ed covered his face with one hand. Sam rolled her eyes again and walked to her front door, opening a small white gate. Ed followed after her. "Sam... wait!" Sam turned to face him. She didn't seem angry, or even a little upset.

"It's fine Ed. Really. I don't mind that you don't think I'm pretty. People rarely do." There it was. A sad glint in her green eyes that made him feel like he'd just kicked a baby. She smiled and turned to open the door. Ed reached out and grabbed her hand.

"Hey."

Her eyes met his; they were burning gold.

"You _are_ pretty. Maybe the prettiest girl I've ever met. If no one's ever told you that before, those people must have been blind and can kiss my ass." He looked away from her again. Sam was completely unable to respond. "Anyway," He said, "Goodnight." He turned and walked down the path back to the gate.

He had opened it and was stepping out when Sam finally found her voice again.

"E-Ed!" She yelled.

He turned.

"Th-thanks!"

He smiled, waved, and continued on his way. Sam opened the door to her home and stepped inside the threshold. She sighed and shut the door with her hip. Leaning against it, she clutched the glowing rose to her chest.

Her lips twitched upwards in a smile.

_**A/N: Am I the only one who went 'aww'? Maybe I am. I'm such a sucker for this stuff. Bah. Anyway, I FINALLY UPDATED. Yes. Yes yes.**_

_**Dude. Okay. 354 views. TEN REVIEWS? Mer. This displeases the Edo-chanluv panda. However, those of you who review... I LOVE YOU.**_

_**Specifically:**_

_**TheMythOfNormality**_

_**SecretSnow**_

_**MrsGosh-Chan**_

_**You guys. YOU. You RAWK. **_

_**~Edo-chanluv**_


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter TEN

The next day, Samantha was back working in the bookstore. At the counter she stood, and as she stood she nibbled distractedly at the bottom of the cup she was drinking from, remembering the night before. A thought struck her and she turned to Carrie.

"Hey... hey Carrie," She said.

"Hmm?" Carrie asked. She turned the page of her magazine, leaning up against the counter next to Sam.

"Does this store have a name?"

Carrie looked up at her. "You seriously don't know the name of this store?"

"Well," Sam shrugged, "I don't know. It's just always been 'The Store' to me." Carrie visibly rolled her eyes.

"Yes, we have a name."

"Really? What is it?"

"Eternity Books."

"...Huh... Really?"

Carrie nodded and returned to her magazine. "Yeah, really. So... Uh... How'd your date with Ed go?" She tried to sound nonchalant, and for the most part she succeeded. The truth was, she and Colleen had been dying to ask all day; but were terrified of blowing their cover.

"It was alright." Sam said.

"Just alright?"

"...Yeah, pretty much." She thought of the rose sitting in a vase on one of her bookshelves, and her heart did a little flip. Carrie watched her friend chew on the bottom of her Styrofoam cup.

"Well...?" She asked. She put her hand on her hips expectantly.

"Well what?" Sam raised an eyebrow.

"Did he kiss you?" The question caught Sam by surprise mid-chew. She bit down harder than she'd meant, and put a hole in the cup. Tea leaked out the bottom, spilling all over her.

"Crap!" Samantha shouted. She hurriedly put the edge of the cup back in her mouth, catching the tea.

"Hold on, I'll get some towels." Carrie hurried into the back room. Sam tapped her fingers in waiting.

_Where's an alchemist when you need one?_ She wondered. Carrie wandered back into the room. She tossed a towel to Sam, and then began to wipe off the counter. Sam made a squeaking noise and pointed to the cup repeatedly. Carrie stopped what she was doing.

"Has it occurred to you," She said, putting a hand on her hip, "That you could just _drink _the tea?"

Sam dabbed at her front with the towel, using only one hand. She looked up at Carrie and gave a disgruntled sigh. She took a few gulps, draining the cup.

"I should've thought of that sooner," Sam mumbled. Her favorite blue shirt was several shades darker from the tea. And worse, she was going to be sticky all day unless she went home to change.

Sam rolled her eyes in disgust, motioning to her shirt. "Sometimes my own imbecility astonishes me."

Carrie raised an eyebrow. "Whoa. There's some big words I haven't heard in a while."

"Yeah, well," Sam grumbled. "Maturity in most situations doesn't always equal ones true intelligence."

"What would Ed say, if he heard you using this kind of language?"

"Meh. The point is, I had a minor incapacity of thought, and totally ruined my favorite shirt!"

Her rant turned to a whine.

"Don't turn into all 'human-dictionary' on me. Just go home and change." Carrie walked back over to her magazine and leaned against the counter.

"But... I don't _wanna_!" Samantha whined.

"Look, there's Alphonse," Carrie said, pointing out the window. She waved at the boy, and he grinned and waved back. "He'll come in here, and we'll see if he can transmute your shirt clean."

"I don't want to _exploit_ him."

Carrie glared at her friend. "Stop that. Stop it now."

Alphonse entered the store. The little bell above the door jingled. "Stop what?" He asked. "And... What happened to your shirt?" He looked at Sam, who sighed.

"Carrie made an inappropriate comment as to the conditions of my appointment with your older sibling last night, and I made a slight mistake in spilling tea all over my person."

Alphonse blinked. "Oh." He looked from Sam, then at Carrie, then back at Samantha again. "Why are you talking like that?"

Sam started to talk, but Carrie cut her off. "Sam- believe it or not- is actually a pretty smart girl. She knows a lot of big words, but doesn't use them often."

"Excluding when I'm exceptionally frustrated," Sam crossed her arms over her soaked chest. Alphonse tilted his head.

"Colleen mentioned something like that once. She said that that's how you know when you're really upset."

"I totally ruined my favorite shirt." Sam covered her eyes with her hand.

"I can fix it!" Al strode over and clapped his hands together.

"Y-you can do alchemy without circles too?" Sam asked. He nodded.

"I learned it when I was still in the armor," He explained. Then he placed his hands on her shoulders. There was a flash of blue light; and when it passed her shirt was totally spotless. He took his hands from her shoulders as Carrie's eyes widened. Sam examined her shirt closely.

"Al you're a miracle worker!" She leaped over the counter and hugged him so suddenly, he nearly fell over.

"Haha! I'm glad you think so, Sam-chan!"

"Hey Al," Carrie asked, "Where _is_ your brother, anyway?"

Al smiled and pried the happy blond girl from his chest. "He's still in bed, I think."

"He's _what?_" Sam exclaimed. "What a lazy bum! It's almost noon, for goodness sakes!"

"Heh. Yeah, that's my Brother." _Wow. She's suddenly really happy, _Al thought, _And her massive vocabulary just disappeared! Brother's really going to have his hands full. _He ruffled Sam's hair and laughed. She looked at him, confused.

"What's so f-"

Carrie's lips curved into an evil smile. "Hey... Sam..."

"Nyu?" She turned to Carrie.

"Why don't you go wake Ed up?"

Sam's green eyes sparkled. "That's _brilliant!_" She raced past Al, out the door, and into the street.

Al gave an exasperated sigh and frowned at Carrie.

"You're evil," He said.

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Pinacco stepped off the train. Through her round glasses, she surveyed the Risembool train station.

"Hmm," She said, "I guess my letter didn't arrive in time." She picked up her small suitcase, only to have it taken lightly from her by a tall man with dark hair, and kind, dark eyes. He smiled at her.

"Need some help, madame?" He asked in his suave voice. Pinacco couldn't help but smile.

"Well. If it isn't everyone's favorite military dog." She said. "No escorts this time?"

"Oh, they're here." He took her suitcase and put it over his shoulder.

"I'm sure Ed will be happy to hear that."

_**A/N: We just learned something new about dear Samaloo! She **_**did****_ mention she likes to read. I guess it's only natural that someone who reads a lot has a pretty decent vocabulary. Is she hiding more than she's letting on?_**

_**Is she really the normal girl Ed thinks she is?**_

_**And MUSTANG'S EARLY. Oh man, Ed's going to kill someone! Who'd he bring with him? And welcome back Pinacco!**_

_**We had a few new people review!! Can you believe it?! I'm so happy! This stuff is what keeps me writing. If I didn't have you guys to share this story with, I wouldn't be writing it at all.**_

_**~Edo-chanluv**_


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter ELEVEN

_...In retrospect_, Samantha realized,_ going to wake Ed up is probably actually a pretty bad idea_.

She stood at the Elric home's front door; her hand poised just above the doorknob. Unease gripped her. What if Ed was one of those people who woke up ready to kill someone. What if he slept with a knife under his pillow? Ready to stab the nearest intruder?

What if he slept _naked?_

"Ah, jeez. I shouldn't be here," She mumbled. But, she braced herself, and with a sigh she turned the handle and opened the door. The house was cool and homey on the inside, with the faintest scent trace of its male inhabitants. To the left of the small entrance room was a living room. It had a tan couch and chair that sat in front of a neat fireplace. Portraits and family pictures hung on the wall, and a bookshelf resided in the far back corner of the room.

To the left was the stairway that lead to the second floor of the home. Down the hallway from the living room was the kitchen, and a room apart from that one was the study. Sam wandered into the study, to discover that it actually had its own bathroom. She sighed and padded back to the living room.

"Hey, anyone home?" She called. When no one answered, she went over to the stairway and rested her hand on the bannister. "Hello? Ed, you up?" With a sigh she went up the stairs.

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"So, Pinacco," Mustang said, "Have you heard anything about Ed's new 'girlfriend'?"

"Girlfriend? Why the hell would you think he had a girlfriend?"

The road to the Rockbell's automail shop was long and dusty. Birds sang off in the distant trees, and a gust of wind blew the fields of grass in a giant cascading wave of green.

. Mustang shrugged his uniform-clad shoulders. "I talked to him on the phone the other day, and he said he had one. That's why we're here." He motioned to his group. Alex Armstrong, Riza Hawkeye, and Lt. Havoc all nodded their heads simultaneously.

"Did he mention a name?" The old lady asked.

"Yeah, but the legitimacy of that name is questionable," Roy said.

"It's pretty generic," Havoc said.

"I think Samantha is a beautiful name!" Armstrong exclaimed. "It's the perfect balance between innocence and beauty!" He flexed his monstrous muscles, " Samantha! Samantha! From a lineage of names far away, it means 'Listener of God'! Surely a girl with such an extraordinary name would only be the most elegant and sophisticated woman!"

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"Ow, fuck!" Sam yelled as she stubbed her foot _yet again_ on something that Edward had left in the floor of his room. She knew this was Edward's room, because the other bedroom on the second floor had been neat and tidy. This one was practically destroyed. Books were scattered on the floor with papers handing awkwardly out of them, the bed under the window was messy and unkempt. Closet door to the left hung open and clothes were scattered about its base.

The desk to the far left of the room had books stacked high and dangerously. Papers covered the desk so that there was almost no wood visible. The bookshelf next to it looked like it'd been blown up in a nuclear bomb.

Sam sighed and shook her head. She wasn't exactly the strictest person in the world when it came to keeping rooms clean, but _come on!_

The door next to the desk had steam rising out from underneath of it. Sam wandered closer. She couldn't hear running water... but she was sure that that room was a bathroom, and that Ed was in it.

She raised her hand to knock on the door when it opened. There was a _whoosh_ of hot air. Steam clouded her vision for a moment.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Ed asked.

"Well," Sam blinked hard, still unable to see clearly. "Al sent me here to wake you up, but you're up already so-...." Her vision cleared and her mouth went dry.

Ed stood in front of her, clad only in his blue boxers. Water dripped in tiny splatters from his bangs onto his well-muscled chest; where it clung wetly for a moment before dripping down to his stomach. His really _nice_ stomach. He put his hands on his hips and leaned closer to her face.

"Are you okay?"

Sam blushed to her toes. _Say something clever! Clever! Be clever!_

"Uh...buh?" Her voice squeaked. Ed frowned. _Nice one, genius,_ she scolded herself.

"Sam...?" He reached for her shoulder.

_OH SHIT, RUN! _She reacted immediately to the thought. Turning on her heel, she sped off out of his room.

"H-hey! Where the hell are you going!?" Ed shouted.

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Roy Mustang inclined his head at the old woman as they dropped her off at her automail shop.

"We'll be back later," Riza promised, "We all want to see this girl of Edward's."

"Well, you tell him I want to see her too. Winry must have been neglecting to tell me about her in the letters," Pinacco said.

"Or she doesn't exist," Roy muttered.

"Now now, Mustang. Give the boy some credit. He wouldn't claim to have a girlfriend unless he had someone in mind."

Roy rolled his eyes. "We'll see." They started for the Elric home just as Sam started to open the door.

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"_HEY!_" Ed shouted. He chased the girl down the stairs and into the living room. With a grunt, he leaped at her and tackled her down the the couch.

"_Oof!" _She grunted. Before she could struggle away, Ed pinned her between his legs and pulled her hands above her head.

"Why are you _running_ from me?" He demanded.

"Because you're naked, you moron!" She shouted. He looked down at himself, then back her her.

"I'm not naked!"

"Well close enough!" She tried to wriggle away, but he held her fast.

"Will you lay still?! This would be a thousand times easier for the both of us if you'd stop moving so damn much!"

"Well then get off me!"

"You'll run away again!"

"Elric,_ what _the hell _are you doing to that young lady_?"

Ed froze. Slowly, very slowly he turned his head in the direction of the door. "Mustang_... _You're... early_._"

_**A/N: CAUGHT IN THE ACT. Oh my dear readers... just **_**wait****_ until the next chapter rolls around._**

_**For the record, that really is what Samantha means. It's Hebrew for 'Listener of God.'**_

_**Alexander is something like 'Protector of Mankind'**_

_**Roy is 'King'**_

_**Edward is 'Wealthy Guardian'**_

_**And Alphonse is 'Eager and Noble'**_

_**Oh yes. I know things. At any rate, next chapter is going to be FUN to write. Muahaha~**_


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter TWELVE

Sam stuck her head up. "Mustang? Oh! Hi!" She waved cheerfully. Ed looked down at her.

_Does she not realize... the compromising position we're in?_

"Edward!" Havoc looked in, standing behind Roy. "Whoa. Man. Sorry to interrupt." He put his hands up and edged back outside. Roy just stared in shock, as did Armstrong. Riza looked like she wanted to shoot someone. Sam flashed her most brilliant smile.

"Oh, you're not interrupting! Edward and I were just playing a game!" She pouted adorably turned her head to slowly look at Ed. "At least... that's what he said. Is this just a two player game? Do I have to take my clothes off in front of them too?"

Ed choked. "_WH-WHAAAAAT?"_

Sam batted her eyelashes at him. In a flash, he jumped off of her and fell backwards over the arm of the couch.

"That's not what... We weren't...! I didn't..!" He stammered.

"Wow Ed," said Roy, "I didn't know you had it in ya."

"_I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING IN ME!_" Ed shouted.

"That's right! Edward said he was gonna put it in _me_!" Sam said cheerfully. Then she frowned and tapped her chin. "Although, what 'it' is... he wouldn't say."

"You... you...!" Ed pointed at her, "_Stop telling them lies!_"

Sam looked hurt. "But... Edward... You said that that's what boyfriends do, isn't it? Give their girlfriends things? You said you were gonna give me a present."

"You're _EVIL!"_

"Edward Elric, that's quite enough!" Armstrong said in his deep baritone. "It's obvious to me that you have seduced this young lady with your obvious lies!" He ripped his shirt off and flexed. "Go get dressed, and we shall talk this out like gentlemen. But I can not allow you to force your perversions on this charming woman any longer!"

"P-p-_perversions?!"_

Sam gasped and covered her mouth. "You were trying to do... _perverted_ things to me? Edward! You said you wouldn't do that anymore!"

"Anymore?" Roy asked. Everyone turned to Edward, who was practically shaking with fury and embarrassment.

"I... That's not...!"

Sam couldn't hold it in anymore. She laughed, nearly falling off the couch. "You...!" She choked, gasping for air, "You should have seen the look on your face!"

"You evil harpy!" Ed snapped. Sam clutched her sides and laughed.

"Hmm. Devious. I admire that in a woman," Roy said.

"Does this mean you're the Samantha girl we've heard about?" Riza asked. Sam wiped a tear from her eye. Once her breathing was back under control, she said,

"Yeah. Sorry about that," She pointed to Edward, "I just... couldn't resist." She stood from the couch, and strode with calm, small steps to Roy. She held out her hand. "Let me formally introduce myself. I'm Samantha. Samantha Woods. I work down at the bookstore in town."

Roy took her hand and shook it, impressed by her firm grip. "Well, I can certainly see why Elric fancies you. You're just his size."

"Why you-!" Ed started; but he was interrupted by Sam's laughter.

"Oh please, I'm taller than he is!"

"Hey-!"

"Oh, of course. I'd forgotten that he's barely tall enough to be seen over a stack of papers."

"_DAMN YOU!_"

Roy released her hand and looked to Ed. "Get some clothes on. Is that really any way to look when you have guests over?" Behind him, Sam shook Riza's hand and introduced herself. Armstrong, sparkling and shirtless as ever, took her hand next. He shook it vigorously, introducing himself and mentioning his lineage several times.

Ed growled, turned on his heel, and marched up the stairs. "Damn Colonel..." He muttered, "If it wasn't getting chilly outside, I wouldn't put any damn clothes on. We'd see what his stupid ass thought of _that_."

Havoc, having reentered the home at an indeterminate time, was the last one to shake Sam's hand. "Wow, Ed really got himself a cutie," He said.

Sam laughed and shook her head. "Not really. I'm not actually all that pretty."

Havoc and Roy raised their eyebrows.

Riza smiled and nodded approvingly.

"I'm sorry again for that little trick I played on Ed earlier. It's not often I get to mess with him without him being able to seek immediate revenge," Sam said.

"My revenge is coming. You just wait," Ed took the stairs two at a time. He was fully clothed now. He'd dressed as quickly as he possibly could. Something about leaving her alone down the there with Roy and the others had bothered him; although he couldn't place his finger on exactly what it was. Sam turned to face him, a grin spreading on her face.

"Aha! That's only if you can catch me off-guard."

Ed rolled his eyes. "Oh, please. You're probably the _easiest_ person to mess with."

Roy observed their reactions carefully. When Sam stuck her tongue out at Edward, he smiled. _She's head over heels already. But what about Ed?_

"What the hell are you smiling at, Colonel?" Ed snapped.

"Just trying to find you, shrimp. This furniture is so _tall._"

"_I'M NOT SHORT! I_-"

"I'm hungry!" Sam said. "Let's go to Winry's!"

The group consented, and on the way out she whispered to Ed, "How's my acting?"

"You're doing great," He said back, "But was that scene on the couch necessary?"

"Probably not. But it was fun."

Ed rolled his eyes. After a moment of letting the officers pull ahead a little more, he said, "Hey, why did you run from me?"

"Eeeh..." Sam coughed and looked at her feet. "I... well... to be honest you kind of scared me."

"Scared you?"

"Yeah... It's... complicated-ish."

He stopped completely and gently grabbed her arm. "Why would that scare you? I mean, it's not like you've never seen a guy shirtless before, right?"

"Er... Well..."

"You _haven't_?"

"W-well...! At least not one I wasn't related to... I mean..." She examined her fingers carefully. "It's just..."

"Hey," Havoc said, stopping and turning around. "Are you two lovebirds coming or not?"

"Yes, sorry!" Sam said. Ed released her arm and she trotted off after the soldiers. Edward remained where he was.

_I've heard about her family... But... Now that I think about it... I don't know anything about _her.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam stared at her plate with growing distaste. This. Was. A problem.

"So, Ms. Woods, I understand that pur Edward has taken quite a liking to you." Pinacco said. The soldiers, Winry, Pinacco, Alphonse, Edward, and Sam were seated around the dining room table at the automail shop. For dinner, much to Sam's chagrin, was a dish she wasn't familiar with, and was covered in cheese.

She hated cheese like Edward hated milk.

"Uh... Well..." Sam looked to Ed- who was seated next to her- for guidance, but he was staring intently into his drink "I... Hope he likes me. I mean... Otherwise this would be kind of awkward."

Edward looked at her curiously. All her charisma and charm had depleted the moment everyone had sat at the table.

_Oh dear God... I'm so totally screwing this up._ She fidgeted uncomfortably in her seat. Her brain was short-circuiting. Sam had always, _always_ gotten nervous in crowds. Even when the attention of the crowd wasn't directed at her. Now it was. Not to mention Edward was going to want an explanation for her actions. And to top it all off, the dinner was making her stomach lurch.

Everyone but Pinacco (who hadn't met her before) noticed the change in her almost immediately.

_Shit... shit... shit!_ Her hands trembled at she reached for her glass. Armstrong, much to her relief, began to tell a story about one of his family members, and their tragic love story. Ed leaned closer to Sam and whispered,

"Are you okay?"

"No," She whispered back, "I'm totally freaking out right now."

"Why? You were fine earlier." He looked worried.

"Cheese is my milk." She stared pointedly at her plate.

He understood. "Hmm," Slyly, and so that no one noticed, he slid his plate closer to hers and spooned her food on to it. "You can eat later, right?"

Sam relaxed a little. Now it looked like she'd eaten something. "Yes. Thank you." Armstrong, still telling his story, emphasized it with flourishing movements that drew nervous smiles from everyone at the table.

"Uh... Edward...?"

"Yeah?"

"I... actually I'd really like to go home now."

"I... okay." He stood from the table. "I'm going to take Sam home."

"Are you sure?" Riza asked Sam.

"Yeah, I've got to head in to work early tomorrow. Carrie needs help sorting a new shipment."

Edward took her hand gently and led her out of the house as everyone said their goodbyes.

"See you guys tomorrow!" Sam said over her shoulder.

**_A/N: I UPDATED! FINALLY! ....For the record, Ed IS taller than Sam. He's just fun to abuse._**

**_To be mean, here's a preview of next chapter (since I won't be updating for a while):_**

**Ed scanned the forest. His heart began to race. She couldn't have gone any deeper than this, could she? His eyes rested on a rock; and his heart nearly stopped altogether. The rock, gray in the daylight, had part of its surface stained dark red with blood. Ed choked.**

**"Sam? _SAM!?"_**


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter THIRTEEN

The next morning, Ed yawned, stretched, and climbed out of bed (a little ungracefully). His mind still thick with sleep, he got undressed and headed for the shower. Shutting the door behind him, he staggered over to the shower and turned one of the knobs. The first spray of water was ice-cold. He yelped and turned the_ other knob. _Gradually, the water warmed up.

_Cripes, what a wakeup call..._ His mind grouched. He stepped into the shower.

Downstairs, Alphonse flipped a pancake. He hummed a Christmas tune to himself and checked on the eggs.

"Brother, hurry up!" He called, "Breakfast is almost done!" Al smiled to himself. "He's probably still in bed. Well, I suppose, that's okay. He's such a _grouch_ in the mornings." Al flipped another pancake. The phone on the wall rang. He checked the eggs one last time before answering.

"Hello?"

"_Hey, Alphonse!_"

A broad grin spread across his young face. "Hi Colleen!"

"_Sorry to call so early,"_ She apologized meekly.

"Oh no, it's no bother! How have you been?" Stretching, he moved one of the pancakes onto the stack on the counter.

"_Uh... well... I've been fine."_

He frowned. "Is everything alright?"

"_Yes... well... no. See, that's what I'm calling about."_

"Go on."

"_Is... Is Sam there, by any chance?"_

"No... Why would she be here?"

Edward yawned noisily and leaned against the counter. Al nodded to the breakfast foods. Ed plopped the eggs onto a plate, then put a few of them and some pancakes on another plate and stood by Alphonse with a curious expression on his face.

"_Well, she hasn't shown up for work yet, Carrie says..."_

"Sam hasn't shown up for work?"

Edward raised an eyebrow and put a forkful of food in his mouth. "Have they tried calling Roy?" He asked.

Al repeated the question.

"_Yes, we've tried that. They haven't seen her either."_

"Have you called Winry?" Al asked.

"_I was going to after I called you guys._"

"Get in touch with Winry, and call back with the news, okay?"

"_Okay. And... hey... Alphonse..."_ Colleen said tentatively.

"Yeah?"

"_I love you._"

Al squeaked and blushed cherry-red. He covered the phone with one hand (ever conscious of Edward's gaze) and answered in a voice that was a few octaves higher than normal. "Y-y-yeah. M-me too."

Ed raised an eyebrow. "Did I miss something?"

"_N-no!_" Al squeaked, slamming the phone down onto the receiver. "Y-you didn't miss anything, Brother!" Suddenly Ed grinned.

"You're going to invite me to the wedding _riiiiight_ Al?" He ruffled his younger brother's hair.

"_S-stop it!_" Alphonse swatted Ed's hand away.

"Admit it Al. She's got you whipped."

"I.. I... You don't know what you're talking about!" Al snapped. Ed's grin turned into a cocky smirk.

"Yeah. Sure. I've seen the way you stare after her when she leaves." He crossed the kitchen, reaching into the refrigerator to grab something to drink. "You've got that lost puppy thing down. No wonder she can't resist you and your boyish charm."

Al crossed his arms and huffed out an aggravated sigh. "I don't know how you can talk like that. Seeing as how you look at Sam the same way."

Ed blinked hard, removing his head from the fridge to stare at his brother. "Say _what?_" Alphonse's eyes grew wide.

"I- I didn't say anything!"

"No, what'd you say?"

"I... I... nothing!"

Ed placed his food and drink down on the counter, shutting the refrigerator door with his foot. "I don't like her like that, Al," He said.

"I know," Alphonse's tone seemed only to ruffle Ed's feathers even more.

"I don't!"

"I know Ed, I know. It's just that you seem to want to spend a lot of time with her..."

"Because she's my friend!" Ed snapped. He grabbed his food and headed for the table. Alphonse followed after him.

"So, if something actually happened to her, you'd only be concerned on a friendly level?"

Ed's cheeks flushed as he took a seat and shoved a forkful of pancake in his mouth. "Of course. She's just a friend."

"And if she were to fall for another guy? Like Mustang?"

Ed looked up at his brother, glaring slightly. "Your 'love bites' are showing." Al blushed bright red and clapped a hand to his neck.

"I- you- BAH!"

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Later in the afternoon, Edward answered the phone on the third ring. "Yo," He said casually.

"_E-Edward?_"

"Colleen! Are- are you crying?" He asked, alarmed.

"_We can't f-find Samantha anywhere. No one's seen her at all. She won't answer her phone, and Carrie and I are realy-" _Her voice threatened to go into hysterics.

"Whoa, calm down, okay? What time was she supposed to come in this morning?"

"_S-seven-thirty."_

"Okay, and what time is it now?" He could hear her choke down a sob.

"_It's... a-almost o-one 'o clock."_

Ed thought for a moment.

"_Ed, can you _please_ go look for her? Roy and the rest of them are canvasing the town."_

"Alright," He soothed, "I'll go check her house for you."

"_Thank-you, Ed. I r-r-really app-"_ She choked down another set of sobs.

"It's okay, Alu-chan. She's going to be totally fine. You'll see. She's probably just passed out asleep and can't hear the phone."

Colleen took a deep shuddering breath. "_Yeah. You're probably right._"

"I'll go check on her now, okay?"

"_O-okay."_

The receiver clicked as Ed ended the call. He grabbed his coat from off of the couch and yelled hastily over his shoulder, "I'm going to go look for Sam!"

"Alright! Hey! Do you want any help?" Al asked, taking the stairs two at a time.

"Nah. I'm just making a quick run to her house. You might wanna go comfort your girlfriend though. I think she was about to have a fit."

Al's eyes widened, and he rushed back up the stairs to get something. Ed pulled his coat on and headed out the door; already calculating.

_Assuming she's not completely out-of-it asleep, she probably would have left her house between six-thirty and seven to make it on-time to work,_ He thought as he trotted down the path from his house to the road. _And it's a thirty-minute walk from her place to the store. Also assuming that she left the house at all and-_ he swallowed hard at this next thought- _of her own free will, she probably got distracted somewhere inbetween._

He looked up at the sky. Once clear and sunny, it had become overcast as the day had passed, and now threatened to rain with a gray, puffy fist.

_But what could distract her for so long? I mean, yeah she gets distracted _really_ easily, but even she wouldn't forget about a commitment she'd made._ He turned left on the road. _Come to think of it, maybe this has something to do with why she was acting so strange._

Ed sighed and put his hands in his pockets. The fields on either side of him rolled like green waves in a gust of hot summer's wind. Again, he looked up to the sky. _Am I missing something? What if she was acting weird because she was in trouble? She would tell me if she was, right?_

Even as he had the thought he knew the answer. She would have given him an answer if he would have asked. But he _hadn't_ asked. He had felt that it would have been an intrusion on her privacy, and that she would tell him in her own time.

_Damn it, I'm such a moron. If it turns out that she's really in trouble, I'm going to beat myself up about it forever._

Again, a breeze blew. Ed's peripheral vision caught something unusual fluttering in the wind, and her turned to see it more clearly. Underneath an oak tree, the foreign thing fluttered again; unmoving from it's position, but constantly in motion in the wind. Ed diverted from his path to investigate.

As he got closer, he saw it. It was book, laid open under the tree. It's pages were the fluttering things he'd seen. Ed frowned and picked it up. It's pages were strangely wrinkled even though it hadn't rained yet.

_The only way they would look like this is if they'd been..._ He let the thought trail off. If the book had been previously dropped in water, the pages would be more wrinkled than this. The only other plausible way for them to look like that wa ifs-

_If they'd been left here in the morning, and soaked up the dew._

Suddenly Edward didn't think he'd find Sam at home, snuggled in her bed. He flipped to the front of the book; seeking what he knew was already there.

'_This Book Belongs to: Samantha Woods'_

Ed cast a suspicious to the forest behind the big tree. Surely she wouldn't have run off into the woods, would she? Doing something like that would not only be completely absurd-....

"Dammit. She's in the stupid forest," Ed griped as he tucked the book into one of the larger pockets of his coat. Lucky for him it wasn't a very big book. With a sigh and a shake of his head, he took off into the thick overgrowth.

Thunder rumbled in the distance.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Roy sat down in one of the chairs in the bookstore, utterly exhausted.

"Find anything?" Carrie asked worriedly.

Riza, Armstrong, and Havoc shook their heads. Colleen's hands shook as she sipped her hot cocoa.

"It's going to storm soon." Her voice trembled. Alphonse tightened his grip around her shoulders.

"Don't be afraid. It's just a storm."

"I'm not worried about the storm." She looked up at him, and everyone in the room turned to look at the couple. "I'm worried about the people in it." Alphonse smiled reassuringly at her.

"Don't worry. Brother's out there looking for Sam now. He'll find her. He always pulls through when you need him."

"But when he's protecting her; who's going to protect _him?_" Colleen asked.

"Edward Elric has always been an extraordinary person," said Armstrong, "Rest assured that when he finds our dear Samantha, he'll protect her and himself without any problems." Everyone shared the same thought then- though no one would say it.

_If he finds her at all._

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

A fat droplet of water splashed itself on Ed's nose and he wiped it away. The storm was coming in fast. He _had _to find her! And soon! Thunder rumbled overhead again. The sky was ominous now; threatening to let loose it's torrent of rain at any moment. Ed cupped his hands over his mouth and yelled.

"_Sam! Samantha! Where are you?_" With a sigh, he dropped his hands to his sides. He'd been walking for nearly an hour, with no sign of the missing girl. Slowly, Ed scanned the forest. She couldn't have gone any deeper than this, could she? Then his eyes rested on a rock- and his heart nearly stopped. The rock, gray in the daylight, had part of its surface stained dark red with blood.

"_Sam? SAM?"_ He yelled. He rushed forward; suddenly afraid of what had happened to her. The leaves under his feet crunched noisily, and he stepped even louder so that she would hear his approach. "Samantha! Can you hear m-_me?_" Ed stumbled and fell as the ground suddenly ended beneath him. He slid several feet, landing on his butt on the hard earth.

"Ow..." He groaned. Wincing, he rubbed his injured tush. "Aaah... that hurt." He pushed himself up to his feet with another groan. He then turned and faced the wall of earth that he'd slid down. Turning from there, he looked to his left, then his right.

"A dry riverbed. I wonder if Sam fell down here too?" The cracked earth went what appeared to be endlessly in each direction. Another raindrop splashed on the young man's head. "Hell. I hope not. This isn't going to be the best of places to hang out in once the rain gets started," He said with a nervous glance to the dark sky. He shook his head and started heading upriver. Going down the bed would eventually lead out of the forest, and he doubted that was the way that Sam went.

Then the rain really began. It came down in endless torrents of freezing misery.

"Sam?" He called out again. "Can you hear me?"

"Edward?" Her voice echoed down the banks of the river to his ears, muffled slightly by the rain.

Ed ran, praying to whomever would listen that he hadn't imagined her voice. He rounded a curve in the bed, and raised his hand over his eyes to see. He saw her red shirt though the haze and ran faster.

"Sam!" He yelled. He slowed and collapsed to his knees next to her. She was a royal wreck. Her hair had various forms of twigs, leaves, and pine needles in it, she was soaked to the bone (although he wasn't much better off in that department), her shirt's sleeves were torn at the elbows, and her pants were ripped and bloody.

Edward didn't care. She was alive. She was alive and he'd found her. He was so happy and relieved, he could've kissed her.

In fact, he did.

_**A/N: TAH DAH! New chapter. Suspense, humor, and a KISS. Well... THIS one's gonna be an awkward turtle to get out of, isn't it? I hope it's long enough... It took me all night to type, but I figured I'd better do it now while I felt like it.**_

_**By the way, has anyone made any random store buys lately? My latest one was a hand held back-massager. ....Yeah, I don't know why I bought it either... It was just kind of...**_

"_**Ooh! Why don't I have one of these? -nab-"**_

_**And now I own one.**_

_**I'll try and update soon.**_

_**-Edo-chanluv**_


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter FOURTEEN

Samantha's eyes widened in shock. _Wh-what is he...?_ Ed's golden eyes opened, their lips still firmly pressed together. Suddenly, he seemed to come back to himself and jerked away from her like he'd been shot.

"I- I- W-what are you doing out here anyway?! Everyone's been really worried about you! Poor Colleen nearly had a heart attack!" He accused. Sam frowned and wiped the water from her eyes. Doing so only forced more into them.

"I... Uh... What?"

"Ugh. Hold on. You can explain once we get out of this riverbed." She saw him blurredly climb to his feet. "It'll start flooding before long, and I don't think we want to be caught in it." He clapped his hands together and placed them on the wall of the river. There was an unmistakable flash of light. Sam squinted to see what he'd created.

"Can you walk?" He asked.

"Well, not exact- ACK! PUT ME DOWN!" Sam flailed weakly in his arms.

"Quit being a pain in the ass and hold still!" He snapped. Crossing her arms, she grumbled quietly to herself.

"Pain in the ass... I'll show you a pain in the ass... My foot in your.... No-good blond shrimp with a God complex..." Her head turned as they went up the small stairway he had transmuted out of the riverbed. "Huh. Creative."

Ed rolled his eyes. "Where the hell have you _been?_" He asked. She stiffened in his arms.

"Uh... 'bout that... Can-...can we not talk about this now?" Ed dropped her on her butt underneath a tree. He clapped his hands together, and pressing them against the tree, he created a thick canopy above them to keep the rain off.

"There. Can we talk about it now?"

"...Dammit. Look, I just went for a walk and got a little misplaced."

"_Misplaced?_ You look like death warmed over!" Sam frowned down at the bloody leg of her jeans and her torn t-shirt.

"Well. That's great for a girl's self-esteem." Ed growled and knelt down by her legs. Taking care to _not_ be gentle, he yanked her pant leg up to examine her wound.

"Ouch! Hey, that hurts!"

"Too bad." He examined the deep gash in her calf carefully. "How did you...?" He looked up at her to see that she was purposefully avoiding his gaze.

"I fell."

_Obviously. _His golden eyes flashed. "Sam, what are you hiding from me?"

"I'm not hiding anything!" She snapped.

"Samantha!" She winced at his tone. "Everyone's been searching for you for _hours_. Colleen's been in hysterics, Roy and his lackeys canvased the town all day, and I'm out here in the freezing rain! I think I have a right to know what happened to you, and why you're hiding it from me!"

"But I'm not-"

"Sam! You're been acting weird since last night! Then suddenly today you _go missing_? And then I find you, bruised and bloodied up so badly you can't even walk; and you expect me to believe it's all _a coincidence_?"

"Yes, I do. Because it is!"

"Explain to me how this could possibly be a coincidence!" He yelled. Lighting flashed, and it was followed by a rumbling boom a few moments later.

"I... I just..."

"_Sam!_"

"Okay, fine! I just... I don't know where to start."

"Yesterday. Start at yesterday."

Sam sighed and prepared her long narration.

"I woke up, went to work, and there I spilled tea all over myself. Alphonse came in, cleaned me up, and then Carrie suggested I go wake you up because you were still at home. So, I ran off to your place. Once there, I... _bumped_ into you, freaked out, ran-"

"Stop there." Ed interrupted, holding up a hand. "Why did you run off in the first place?"

"I told you-"

"I want an adequate answer this time."

"...Okay..." Sam fidgets into a more comfortable position. She winced when her ankle moved. Ed caught the slight change in her expression, although she'd tried to hide it. He pointed to her ankle.

"I'll take a look at it, you talk."

"Okay, okay. So be honest, I don't know why I ran. I think it was just a knee-jerk reaction. There wasn't really a thought process that lead to me running- ow!"

Ed looked up at her sympathetically. "I don't think it's broken. Just sprained to hell."

"Wonderful," She said sarcastically.

Ed released her ankle and sat next to her. "So. Knee-jerk reaction?"

"Yeah." Sam shrugged. "And then afterwards the adrenaline rush made me do stupid stuff."

"Is that why you were acting so weird at Winry's?"

"I..." She mumbled.

"You...?"

"I... I get.... nervous... in crowds... Especially in crowds of people who don't know me." She avoided his gaze again.

"And you couldn't tell me this earlier?"

"I... Didn't wanna seem weak." Her cheeks flushed.

_She didn't want to seem weak? Damn... that's so... CUTE..._ Ed thought, feeling his own cheeks turn red. _GAH! What am I thinking?! I've already k-ki-kiss-... _He couldn't even imagine the word.

"What about his morning? Why did you suddenly disappear? And why are you so badly hurt?"

She sighed. "Because I'm a moron." She looked up at his expectant face. "I woke up this morning around six a.m.. I left the house at six forty-five to get to Carrie's early to help out with the shipment. On the way there, I happened to see this old oak tree. I had plenty of time... so I thought '_Why the hell not?_' and sat my book down in the grass to climb it.

"Well, while I was up there, I happened to see a rabbit sitting in the grass. I climbed back down the tree; thinking for some ungodly reason that I could catch the thing." She smiled softly. "Every time I would get within touching distance of it, it would hop a little farther away. I ended up following it into the woods for quite a while."

"But how did you get injured?"

"I fell into the riverbed, and on the way down I tried to stop myself. Ended up ripping my shirt in half a dozen places, scraping my leg up on a sharp rock, and landing awkwardly on my ankle." Samantha sighed.

"But... I saw blood- a lot more of it- on a rock. How do you explain that?"

"....The rabbit... kind of.... got... eaten... by a fox..." Sam coughed and looked away. "I fell because I chased off after it."

Ed chuckled softly and ruffled her wet hair. "You moron."

"....Merf."

"And you didn't want to tell me about it because?"

She crossed her arms and deliberately stared at her injured leg. She shivered. Edward, suddenly realizing they were both soaking wet, used his alchemy to dry them off.

"Because it's kind of embarrassing," Sam finished, once she was dry.

Ed laughed again. But his mind was somewhere very far away- now that he knew why she'd gone missing.

_I k-kissed her!_ He forced the word out in his mind. _What the hell was I thinking?! Why would I _do_ that? I must've been insane! Yeah. That's it. I was momentarily insane because I was worried about her. If I'm lucky, maybe she won't remember. Oh, cripes. I hope she doesn't remember!_

Sam fell into an awkward silence while Ed was lost in his thoughts.

"Umm... Edward..." She started.

"Eh?" He asked, pulled back from wherever he was in his mind.

"Why did you... back there...?" Sam nodded her head in the direction of the riverbed.

_SHIT._

"I... Uh... What?" He blushed and cleared his throat. "I have no idea what the hell you're talking about!"

Sam blinked. "Oh," She said softly. "I- I see." _He regrets it, _She thought, a little sadly. Her expression softened, and Edward had a mini-heart-attack.

_Ah, crap! What'd I say? She looks so sad! Aaaahh! What do I do? Do I tell her I meant to kiss her? Sh-should I kiss her again?_

He watched the young girl sitting next to him as he tried to make a decision.

_GAH! I can't kiss her again! I can't I can't I can't I can't! But God dammit she looks so sad! And besides, if I kiss her again she'll think I'm interested, and things will get awkward. But... If... I wasn't interested... Why did I kiss her at all in the first place?_

"I think the rain's letting up," Samantha said, looking up. Her voice snapped him out of his panicked reverie.

"Is it?"

"Yeah." She was right. The rain was slowing to a slight drizzle. Edward sighed and stood up.

"We should probably get going now," He said, "In case it starts raining again." Sam nodded. With a bit of a struggle, Ed knelt down and helped her climb onto his back.

"You have a fat back," She complained once she was situated. Edward stood and started toward the forest's exit.

"A fat back?" He asked. "What the hell?"

"Yes. It's wide. Your shoulders are too, for that matter."

Ed rolled his eyes. "I'll remember to go on a diet when I get out of here."

"No." She snuggled into his neck, and Edward blushed several different shades of red. "It's very snuggly."

"I am _not_ snuggly!"

"Oh yes. You are." They lapsed into silence again. "Um... Ed?"

"Yeah?"

"I... I _am_ hiding something from you."

He stopped. "What is it?"

"I... I'm moving back to Central."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter FIFTEEN

Edward continued his trek forward. The sky overhead thundered as the rain threatened to pour forth again.

"Central? Why?" He asked. His chest squeezed uncomfortably.

"My friend Daniel recently had a bad breakup. He's having trouble meeting the bills on his apartment by himself, and he wrote me a letter asking for some help. I told him I'd be more that happy to move in with him and help him out for a while."

"So you're not staying?" The tightening in his chest released.

"Actually, I probably will stay. I mean, I'd have my house here to worry about making payments on- and what's the point of keeping that here when I'm also paying rent?" He felt her shake her head. "It just wouldn't make sense."

"When are you going?"

"Eehh... I have no idea. Soon though, I think. After my ankle heals up and I can pack." She wiggled her toes and winced.

"You haven't started packing already?"

"Not exactly. I kind of just made the descision today."

Ed stopped. "Is that before or after I kissed you?" He asked. He felt her small body stiffen.

_"_Before," She said.

A long silence passed between them.

"I see," He finally said, and started walking again.

Sam sighed and rested her head on his shoulder.

"So... why _did_ you kiss me?"

A blush crept across Edward's cheeks. "I- well- you know... It was an accident!"

"An accident? Really?" She asked in a disbeleiving tone.

"Yeah. An accident. I slid when I ran up to you, and our lips just kind of-..." He trailed off. She laughed, and his face flushed even more. "What're you laughin' at?" He snapped.

"You, obviously!" She laughed again.

"I _will_ drop you on the side of the road!" He threatened, turning his head slightly to look at her.

Her laugh stopped immediately. "How serious was that threat?"

"Very serious. It's on your own shoulders if you get left out here in the freezing rain."

"You're evil."

"I am not! But you're riding on my back, so you'll follow my rules."

Samantha mumbled under her breath, "You evil, evil man."

It was his turn to laugh. Then his hand touched the skin of her ankle and he frowned.

"Are you running a fever?" He asked.

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Colleen stared vacantly out the window, watching the rain as it started again. Everyone else had reseated themselves, using the brief stop in the rain to go searching again. They found nothing however, and were looking over a small map of the area to try and figure out where Samantha might have gone.

"That's ridiculous," Roy said, looking up at Carrie. "Why would she be all the way down here?" He pointed to a small square of the map.

"Of course it's ridiculous! That's why she's probably there!"

"Maybe we should wait for Brother to come back? I bet he's found something-"

Colleen sighed and tried to tune out the noise. She also tried to stay calm and collected on the outside. On the inside, however, she was nearly in a panic. If they didn't find Samantha by sundown, would she make it through the night in all this rain?

She sighed and pressed her forehead against the cool glass. Then she blinked, sat up, and pressed her face against the window.

"It's Edward!" She yelled.

Then everyone was at the window with her. Everyone except Alphonse, Roy, and Armstrong, who rushed outside to meet the arriving alchemist.

"Ed!" Al yelled, running over to his brother. "Is that Sam?" He asked, motioning to the girl clinging to Ed's back.

"Yeah, listen, she's hurt. We need to get her inside-" Ed blinked as Samantha was lifted from his back by Armstrong.

"How long has she been out?" Asked Mustang. Armstrong hurried her inside the bookstore, attempting to shield her from the rain. Ed, Mustang, and Alphonse quickly followed him.

"Not long," Ed said. "She passed out a little way down the road. I think she's running a fever."

"Brother, where was she?" Al asked.

"In the woods, if you can believe it."

"Neh? What was she doing out in the woods?"

Their conversation was lost in the rush of activity that followed. Sam was spread out on the counter quickly, and Havoc was sent out for a doctor. Carrie dug out blankets, setting them off to the side as Riza checked Samantha's temperature.

"She's burning up," The woman murmured. Ed stood next to her, still dripping from the rain.

"Is there anything we can do?" He asked.

"Yes, get her dried off and get some blankets on her. We need her to sweat and break the fever."

Ed nodded and clapped his hands together. Placing them on Sam, her clothes dried out almost instantaneously. Colleen spread the blankets over her as Carrie went to find more.

"Havoc's gone for the doctor," Roy said, walking over to the counter. "He'll be back soon."

Edward looked down at Sam. Her cheeks were flushed, and yet somehow she seemed pale and lifeless. Her chest rose and fell with each breath; though that didn't do much to calm his fear. Her hair was spread across her face, and with a tender hand he brushed it from her cheek. No one noticed him do this, no one seemed to be paying any attention.

Sam's eyes fluttered open and looked at him. Her lips mouthed his name, though no sound escaped. He smiled, reached under the blanket, and took her fevered hand. Her mouth curved into the slightest of smiles, and then her eyes closed again.

He felt her give his hand a weak squeeze, and he touched her face again.

_It's alright. You're going to be okay._ He thought. He then said the words aloud, drawing the attention of the group. He blushed, looked up, and cleared his throat.

"A-ah... She... opened her eyes... so..." He stammered.

"She's awake?" Carrie asked. "Sam, hey, Sam!" She leaned over.

"Give her some space!" Ed snapped.

"We need to keep her awake!" Carrie retorted.

"Why don't you back the hell off?"

"Why don't _you_?"

"Guys," Sam mumbled, opening her eyes.

"Look," Ed yelled, "She needs her rest! She's not going to die if she gets a little sleep!"

"But if we have her awake when the doctor gets here, she can tell him what hurts!"

"Guys," Sam said.

"Yeah, great. And he'll tell you that we should have let her sleep!"

"Edward, I swear to _God_ I'll kick your ass!"

"I'll take you both on!"

Samantha sat up, and covered their mouths weakly."_Would both of you SHUT THE HELL UP?_" she shouted, startling everyone in the room. "Jeez! If you'd stop bickering for half a _damn second!_ You're worse than zombies! Trying to eat each other's brains or something! I mean seriously!"

Edward and Carrie blinked simultaneously. Then Ed grabbed Sam's wrist and pulled it away from his mouth.

"_She_ started it!" He pointed at Carrie.

Carrie opened her mouth to retort, but Sam made a cut-off gesture. "_No mas!_ I don't care who started it, I'm ending it!"

"But-"

"Ed!"

Ed gave a frustrated sigh and turned away. "I just can't win with you, can I?"

"Damn right you can't..." Her sentence trailed off. Suddenly Ed was pushed out of the way. Armstrong was standing by Riza, who was lowering Sam gently back down to the counter.

"If you want to help her," Riza said to Edward, "Stop yelling at her and get a damp towel." Ed glowered for a moment, then turned on his heel to the bathroom in the back of the store. Roy's dark eyes watched him all the way.

_So that's how it is, huh?_ The older man mused.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

By the time Havoc arrived with the doctor, Samantha was awake again. She was sitting upright in a chair, with blankets wrapped around her and a cool towel on her head. She smiled as the old man walked in the door, with Havoc right behind him.

"Sorry it took so long," The officer said.

"It's fine," Sam smiled. "These guys wouldn't let me leave anyway." Her face was still flushed but she was doing her best to act normal. She coughed and cleared her throat. "Though I keep telling them I'm okay."

"Well, I'll be the judge of that," The doctor told her. He pressed his hand to her forehead, and took a stethoscope out of his bag. He glanced up. "If all of you could give us some privacy please?"

The group nodded and went separate ways. The rain had stopped again, so Armstrong, Riza, Carrie, and Havoc left to get some food and bring it back. Colleen, Roy, and Alphonse moved to the back of the store to help with some sorting Carrie had asked them to do. When Edward turned to go with them, the doctor said,

"Actually, Mr. Elric, if you could stay here?"

Edward paused for a moment. "Y-yeah, sure," He said.

The doctor placed the rubber earpieces on, and placed the circular device on Samantha's chest, pulling her shirt down slightly. Edward blushed and averted his gaze as Sam breathed in and out for the doctor.

"You found her in the woods?" The man asked.

"Yeah," Ed answered, suddenly finding something interesting to look at on the wall. "She complained about her ankle, so I carried her back. She passed out on the road- oh, she had a gash on her calf, so you might want to check that for infection."

Samantha sighed. "I can't help but feel I could've answered those questions on my own."

"All patients lie, Miss Woods. I need to get the full story without any embarrassing things omitted. Now answer me honestly, were you having sex out there?"

Sam and Edward's face flushed the same shade of cherry red.

"We were not having sex!" They shouted.

"All right, all right. I have to ask, in case there's a chance of pregnancy. Have you had sex before?"

"No!"

"Look, Doc," Sam said, "Trust me on this one, there's zero chance of me being pregnant."

"Very good. I'm going to check the leg wound now, is that all right?"

"Sure, go ahead."

Ed sighed and leaned against a wall. "You're a pain in the ass." His comment didn't seem to surprise her. Instead, she smiled.

"So I've been told... Do you think it's frustrating being a goldfish?"

Ed blinked in surprise, as did the doctor.

"Goldfish? What the hell?"

"I mean, they lose their memory every three seconds. Can you imagine how awful it is? Having to figure yourself out every three seconds just to lose it all again?"

"I don't have time to answer stupid questions like that," Ed snapped.

"You should make time. It's always interesting to think about different things. For instance, if a person with multiple personalities kills themselves, is it murder or suicide?"

"Suicide," He answered.

She gave him a look. "In the mind of the person, they're killing different people. That person perceives that they are committing murder, and therefore their reality is that all the people in their head die."

"Perception doesn't matter much when you're dead," He said bluntly. "If there's just one body, there's only one death. And since the person killed them self, it's suicide."

"Maybe," She smiled, "But if I were to drop a bomb on a town, destroying every living thing, bones and all, did those people still die?"

"Well, yeah-"

"Then why isn't it murder?" Edward fell silent, and she winced as the doctor touched her ankle. He asked a few questions, and wrapped it up.

"I'm going to leave some crutches here. It's a pretty bad sprain, so I suggest you use them to get around," He told her.

Samantha sighed."Alright, whatever you say, Doc."  
"But the people in the persons head are imaginary," Ed said. He was unwilling to let the argument go.

Sam held up a finger. "Reality is perception. The person who has the people in his head perceives them to be real, and therefore to him they are."

"And we're back to 'perception doesn't mean much when you're dead'. The person with the people in his head is dead."

"But before he died, he thought he was killing a group of people."

"But he _didn't-_ there's not physical evidence that-"

"If I dropped a bomb on a town, destroying every living thing-"

"Shut up."

She laughed.

_**A/N: WHOOHOO! FINALLY UPDATED! This chapter goes out to The. Myth. Of .Normality for drawing an **_**amazing**_** picture of Sam and Edward, and scaring the crap out of me into finishing this chapter.**_

_**True story Myth, here's what happened:**_

_**"Oh! A message from !... Oh.. crap... it's a Private Message... Maybe.. if I ignore it and work on the chapter, it will magically turn into a message that isn't going to chew my ass out..." And so I proceeded to ignore the message for around four hours.**_

_**When I finally opened it, after staring at my inbox for half an hour, it turned out to be lovely Myth, telling me she drew a picture. My reaction, you ask?**_

_**"HELL YES!"**_

_**Thinking of introducing a new character... I think you guys will love him. He's my all-time favorite OC of mine.**_

_**Woohoo! Had a snow WEEK last week! I'm going to be going to school all summer... but...**_

_**Thank you for the reviews! Thank you, thank you!**_

_**-Edo-chanluv**_

_**p.s. Myth, amazing picture ;)**_


	16. Chapter 16

"Screw rabbits, screw crutches, and _screw ankles!_" Samantha yelled, throwing a book at her front door.

She'd been stuck at home for six straight days, and she was royally pissed off. The illness she'd had had worn off a day or so ago, and now that she was healthy, Sam wanted to be out _doing things_.

"Not sitting at home like a frickin' shut-in!" She said aloud. She flopped out on her couch, knocking the crutches over with her feet. "I hate you, crutches. I hope you _die._" She hissed.

The crutches, of course, had no response. This only added to her aggravation, and she kicked them with her good foot. With a sigh, she glanced at the phone. She could call Edward... or Alphonse... or Edward... or Colleen... or Carrie... or Edward...

She wondered if Edward was home. With a sigh, she maneuvered her foot under her crutches, tugging them over. She picked them up and positioned herself on them with a glance at the phone. It rang as if on cue. Hurriedly, Sam hobbled over to it. Her weight shifted to one crutch when she pulled the phone to her ear.

"Hello?" She answered.

"Mama?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Edward stepped into the bookstore, giving a friendly wave to Carrie as he did so.

"Sam still not able to come to work yet?" He asked as he strode to the counter.

"She thinks she is, but no," Carrie said with a smile.

Ed laughed. "I bet she's going nuts at home, isn't she?"

"I don't know, I've been to busy with the store to really call her."

"Has business really picked up that much?"

"Yeah, it's kind of crazy. I never _dreamed_ we'd be getting this much business. I guess it's the fact that we have an ex-state alchemist hanging around in here all the time," She said with a laugh.

"You make me sound like a criminal!"

"Oh c'mon Ed. You've never broken the law?"

He rolled his eyes, although numerous occasions in which he _had_ broken the law popped into his head.

"Then wouldn't I be in jail?"

"A devious young man like yourself? I doubt it."

They laughed together.

"Hey, listen, I'm going to run down to Sam's and check on her."

"Alright, see ya."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Samantha was back on the couch, staring dejectedly at the ceiling. Her anger was gone, and now she was feeling... philosophical.

"I bet it's amazing being a goldfish," She mused aloud, "Not scary. Not frustrating. Every three seconds would be an adventure, a fresh start, a clean slate. If you lost your memory every three seconds, you'd never know you were missing anything in life. You'd be living in the _now_." She paused. "...I'm not on enough drugs for this kind of talk."

A knock on her door made her shift her eyes from the ceiling.

"City morgue, you kill 'em, we grill 'em," She called.

"Hilarious. I guess I don't need to ask if you're home," A familiar voice said from the other side of the door. Her heart did a little flip.

"Hey, Edward. I almost called you earlier."

He opened her door and stepped in, a smirk on his face. "Oh yeah? If I knew it was you, I wouldn't have answered."

"Yeah, I decided I had better things to do—don't bloodsucking fiends have to have permission to enter a home?"

He grinned. "I can't take your insults seriously when you're all pathetic like that."

"....Ha. You're _hilarious._"

Sam was stretched out on the couch, leg propped up, crutches in the floor. Her hair was unkempt and everywhere. Her gray sweatpants were baggy and wrinkled, her shirt was two sizes too big, and was pushed up to reveal a small part of her stomach.

"You didn't have to bother getting all dressed up."

"If I could hit you from here, I would."

Ed gave a low whistle and his grin broadened. "Well, _someone's_ in a bad mood. Who pissed in your cereal?"

She looked at the floor. "You think I could hit you if I threw this crutch at you?"

"With your upper body strength?"

"...Dammit," Her voice became weak. "Come closer, my child... So I can hit you with things..."

Edward laughed and and strode over to sit by her on the couch. With a few pathetic grunts, she wriggled into an upright position.

"So how's the outside world? Is they sky still blue? Are Alphonse and Colleen married yet? Are the soldiers still here?" She asked, feigning the wonder of a small child.

"The sky's purple, they had their wedding three days ago, and yes the soldiers are still here."

"...One of those was a lie."

He laughed. "Mustang doesn't think he's had his chance to meet you. He sent the others home, but he's decided to stick around. Once you're feeling better, he'll probably come say hello."

"The marriage thing was a lie too, right?"

"Nope. And our wedding's tomorrow."

She smacked him playfully in the arm. He raised a golden eyebrow.

"What? You don't think I'm a nice catch?"

"I could do better."

"Like who?"

"Mustang."

It was his turn to smack her. "_I'm better than that stupid narcissistic bastard!_"

"That's the pot calling the kettle black, isn't it?"

He snarled and leaned in close to her. "Look you, I came down here to be nice and spend some time with you since you're such a shut-in. But since you're obviously not going to be civil, I'll just leave!"

"What makes you think I was happy to see you anyway?"_ It was more like ecstatic, elated..._What the hell? Where had _that_ come from?

"You know I didn't even want to come see you! Carrie made me do it!"

"Wow, what a thoughtful gift. I hope she doesn't mind if I return it!" She snapped. His last comment cut, and cut deep. He threw his arms up in frustration.

"Why do you have to be so damn _difficult?_"

"Because you're so damn stubborn!"

"Hey, hey! I'm not stubborn! You just have to argue with everything I say!"

"It wouldn't be arguing if you'd agree with me!"

"I can't agree with you if you're wrong!"

"I'm not wrong, and you know it! I've never been wrong in an argument with you! And for the love of God, if you don't want to come see me, then don't!"

He glowered, his golden eyes darkening by several shades. "Sam. Shut up."

"No!" She was on a roll now. "If you don't want to see me, then chances are, I don't want to see you either! Besides, if you're too big of an idiot to talk to me for five minutes without _arguing_-"

"Sam."

"-with me, then whose fault is that? Not _mine_! I actually enjoy conversations with you sometimes, when you're not-"

"Sam!"

"-yelling at me or-"

Her argument was silenced when his lips suddenly collided with hers. Samantha blushed several shades of red and her eyes went wide. Her brain suddenly stopped working, short-circuiting until her only thought was a silent gasp of surprise.

Ed pulled away suddenly, his face just as red as hers. He swallowed hard.

"Um... that was... not what.... you think...It- I- you...!" He swallowed again, "I...." Edward's mind was racing. What the hell had he just done? She was never going to forgive him for this! He'd just managed to ruin their relationship with a single kiss!

But then....

He watched her face, red with embarrassment, lips parted slightly like she wanted to say something, pale green eyes wide with shock... She wasn't pushing him away... So... maybe...

He leaned in again and pressed his lips shyly to hers.

Sam's heart thudded loudly in her chest. Oh, God, he was doing it again!_ Holy crap! What do you do after this? _She'd never kissed a guy before, and she had absolutely no idea what she was doing. _I can't do this, I can't do this, I can't d- he's pulling away! Shit! No, come back!_

Edward began to pull away, blushing furiously at his mistake. He'd totally misread her; and now he was going to end up paying for it. As he entertained these thoughts, he was surprised when she tilted her head up and brought their lips together again. He blinked. A trill of excitement ran through him. He kissed her back, slowly, carefully, testing to see how far he could push it. He could sense her inexperience, her fear. He opened his eyes and looked at her.

Ed reached up and touched her face gently. Samantha's eyes snapped open and looked at him, and her face flushed even more. She pulled away from him, her green eyes darting away from his face.

"S-sorry.... I... That's..."

He'd never seen her so flustered before. Would she be like this every time he kissed her?

_WAIT._

Did that mean he was planning on kissing her again?

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A boy with green hair jumped off the train. He landed with the utmost grace on the ground, his brown suitcase right behind him. His eyes were large and brown, with a glittering childish look to them. His face was round and pale, with full lips and an adorable smile. He was short at around 5'4, with a green jacket and a black undershirt showing what little muscle he had.

He beamed and hurried toward the train station exit.

_I'm comin' Mama!_

_**A/N: I'M NOT DEAD I SWEAR!! I've just been having some major computer problems. Luckily, me, being the genius I am, fixed them!**_

_**(This is a lie. My brother fixed them for me.)**_

_**Did anyone go to Anime St. Louis? I missed it.**_

_**AND TRAVIS WILLINGHAM.**_

_**-SOB-**_

_**Going to Natsucon though. And Izumicon in Oklahoma.**_

_**(Vic Mignogna... bitchin')**_

_**-Edochan**_


	17. Chapter 17

For a long moment the two stared at each other; their faces were a bright crimson. Samantha swallowed hard, her mouth suddenly too dry to form words. Ed only stared, embarrassed and wholly confused by the urge to kiss her again. The awkward silence between them was only broken by the tick-tocking of a clock.  
Sam swallowed again. "E-Edward?" He jumped.  
"A-ah…. Y-yeah?"  
"….Are…. you going to tell me you fell again?"  
"I… I don't know." He blushed even more.  
"What?" She exclaimed, "What do you mean you don't know? Y-you… you just… and we…!" Sam waved her hands dramatically.  
"I mean I don't know! I need to sort this out, okay?" He stood. She noted immediately how he kept his golden eyes averted from her. Her voice grew soft.  
"I don't understand, Ed…"  
Edward's hand clenched into a fist and he gritted his teeth. "I don't either, but…" He blushed. "I think…. I think I—"  
A pounding knock drew their attention to the door.  
"I'll get it." Edward said as he rushed to open it. He barely had time to get it open before a green object sped past him and jumped on Sam.  
"Wha—GACK!" Samantha screeched.  
"_Mutter, habe ich Sie so verpasst!"_ It squealed, nuzzling her at lightning speed. Edward stopped dead in his tracks.  
_No… That can't be…_  
"Ow—I—OW! _DALEC!_ Down boy! Sit, heel—stop it that…!" Sam yelled. Her attempt at seriousness was completely lost in her laughter.  
"Merrr…" The boy purred, burying his face in her neck.  
Sam giggled and hugged him tight. "Dalec, my baby! How have you been?" The boy tore himself from her neck, cheeks flushed and brown eyes sparkling like a river of chocolate.  
"I've been wonderful! Just wonderful! Well, except for the train ride! I got so impatient, nothing happened on that darn ride! I mean, if you're going to take a three-hour trip, there should at least be some interesting scenery to look at right? All there was were fields and cows! I mean, I love animals as much as the next guy, but goodness gracious so many cows! Then Edal got all upset with me because I kept climbing out the window, but it was so stuffy in that darn train—they wouldn't even let me take it apart and see how it works!" Dalec prattled, talking faster than Sam could keep up with.  
"Okay, okay!" She laughed. "Slow down!"  
"And my goodness! It was so beautiful once we got h—" He was cut off mid-sentence by Edward grabbing the collar of his shirt and dragging him backwards. He yelped in alarm and pain as he hit the floor. Ed dragged the young man up again and slammed him against the wall.  
"Edward!" Sam yelled. "What the hell are you doing?"  
"You…" The blond man snarled through his teeth. "How do you know that language?"  
Dalec's hands tugged at Edward's more powerful ones as he struggled to suck in air.  
"Ed! Edward! Let him go you're hurting him!"  
"Not until he answers my question!" Ed growled and shoved him more forcefully against the wall. "How the hell do you know that language? _Have you seen it?"_  
"I… don't…. under…. s-stand…." The boy coughed.  
"Like hell you don't!"  
"Don't…fucking… touch him!" A deeper voice snarled. Ed barely had time to see the enraged sinister brown eyes before a fist collided with his skull. Stars danced before his eyes. His grip on the boy weakened and he collapsed to the floor--down for the count.

Samantha leaned over Edward, her green eyes dark with worry and her weight supported by crutches. "Did you have to knock him out?"  
"He had it coming," He said with one lean arm around Dalec's slender shoulders.  
"But Liebe, it still wasn't very nice…" Dalec scolded.  
Edal pressed his lips gently against the boy's head, "He still had it coming for hurting you, babe."  
"Ugh, Edal. Go be a pedophile somewhere else."  
The brown haired man visibly twitched. "He's legal."  
"Right. What is he, six?"  
Dalec raised his hand. "Mama, I'm nineteen. You know that."  
"That, my dear boy, doesn't make your husband any less of a pedophile."  
"But…"  
"He met you when you were fifteen. He's still a pedophile, albeit a devoted one." She carefully brushed the hair out of Edward's face.  
"….But he's my pedophile," Dalec wrapped his slight arms around Edal's waist and gave the man a loving peck on the cheek.  
"I'm not a pedophile! Jeeze!" He let out an exasperated groan. "Do we have to do this every time we meet, Saiyu?"  
She found that the old nickname still made her crack a smile. "You seduced my only child to your perverted whims. Yes, we have to go through this."  
His face reddened. "I did not seduce him, and what do you mean your 'only child'? What about Dehn—"  
"Dan. He goes by Daniel now."  
Edal rolled his eyes. "He's still the same bossy jerk he was before." Sam quirked a sardonic eyebrow.  
"Does that mean if I call you Caleb you're supposed to be someone else?"  
"That's entirely diff--!" Dalec cut him off and pushed him gently away to better lean over Edward.  
"Lookit! He's waking up!"  
Edward's eyelids fluttered and opened, revealing his golden orbs. They were hazy and unfocused, and it took him a moment of searching around the room to find Sam's face.  
"Good morning sunshine!" She cheered. "It's an absolutely lovely 80 degrees outside, party cloudy, with a chance of rain later this evening!" Her bright smile only broadened when he just closed his eyes again and muttered,  
"I knew it. I've died and gone straight to hell."  
"Oh c'mon Ed, be a good sport!"  
Edward opened his eyes again and looked at Edal. "You couldn't have killed me?" Edal just grunted and pulled Dalec into his chest.  
"You got what you deserved."  
As though some primal instinct detected a threat, Edward growled low in his throat and narrowed his eyes at the taller man. Edal responded likewise, drawing himself up even taller. Dalec sighed and looked at his not-really-mom.  
"Let's bake cookies."  
"Yes, let us bake cookies indeed," Sam agreed. Dalec gently wrapped his arm around her slim figure and helped her hobble into the kitchen.  
Edal and Edward's gazes were still locked. You could almost feel the sparks from the heat of their glare. However, the moment Edal noticed his lover departing, the alchemist was the last thing on his priority list.  
"B-babe, wait up!" He called. Edal then turned to go after the two, brushing past the smaller man. Edward frowned.  
_Babe? Is he…is he talking about SAM? He mistakenly thought. What--! What would..?WHY IS SHE LETTING SOME PUNK GUY CALL HER THAT?_


	18. Chapter 18

"Dalec dear, I don't know why I never forced you to live with me—these cookies are _God!_"  
Dalec laughed happily and put another tray in the oven. "It's nothing… Just a little recipe I cooked up. The boys like it well enough, and Edal…" His eyes glittered.  
Sam moaned loudly and took another bite. "You are so cooking me dinner tonight…"  
"Of course! How about chicken Monterrey with a side of baked potato, marinated in—"  
"Dalec I'm going to jizz my pants."  
Edal rolled his eyes. Dalec laughed again, a blush coloring his porcelain cheeks. "Sorry. I'll wait until dinner time then."  
"No, no. I love it when you talk food. Do it again, sexy."  
"Mom!" He whapped her with his spatula (though not nearly hard enough as he should have, Edal thought), "You're gonna make Caleb all jealous."  
Behind his back, Samantha and Edal stuck their tongues out at each other.  
"So _mom,_" Edal teased, "Was that guy your boyfriend?"  
Sam blushed a new shade of red. Edward had been sent home shortly after he'd been able to stand. He'd seemed a little sour about leaving her with the two men; and, though she may have imagined this, even a little jealous.

"_They're shady characters," He'd said, "I don't want—"  
"I grew up with them, Ed. I know them better than I know you."  
"But Sam—"  
"At least they give me straight answers," She said softly. He looked away and clenched his hands into fists, his golden eyes dark with hurt.  
"I want to answer you, Sam… Really."  
"Then do it. It's not that fucking hard to know whether you like me or not." Her tone surprised even her. Ed had looked up, apparently shocked.  
"Sam, I…"  
"Goodbye, Edward." She shut the door in his face. _

"Oh dear Lord no! He's a jerk who doesn't know what he wants." She bitterly bit into a cookie.  
Edal grinned. "Oh yeah? It didn't seem like you thought that when you were brushing the hair out of his face." To his immense pleasure, Samantha blushed.  
"It was in his face! You can get an eye infection from that, you know."  
"Mama, mein Liebe, will you please stop fighting?" Dalec removed his pink-checkered apron.  
"She started it," The older man said.  
"I did not!"  
"Small fry."  
"Pedophile!"  
"Tree-hugger!"  
"Man-lover!"  
"Bi-bi…Lazy!" He didn't like to curse. As much he wanted too, he just couldn't get the full word out.  
"Skank!"  
"Both of you hush!" Dalec shouted. They immediately silenced. Edal actually blanched. It was rare for the young boy to adopt such a tone, and when he did it usually meant that his lover was spending the night on the couch. The brown-haired man topped during intercourse, but Dalec wore the pants in the relationship. Edal stood with an immediate intention to remedy his situation. He pulled the boy into his arms and kissed him full on the mouth.  
As always, Dalec melted. His arms encircled the taller man's neck in an attempt to bring him closer. Edal responded with a noise not loud enough to be heard, but strong enough that Dalec felt the reverberations throughout his body. Their hips pressed against each other, and Edal moved against him in a slow, extremely pleasurable pace.  
"_Oh…" _Dalec all but moaned. His face flushed. His lover purred and pressed his lips against the younger man's neck.  
"…Guys. This is hot and all, but can you like… _not_ have sex in my kitchen?"  
Dalec's chocolate eyes refocused and his cheeks flushed even more. "I—oh my!" He propelled himself away from Edal, gingerly brushing the emerald strands of hair from his face. "He… it w…we weren't… That…" He let out a pitiful squeak and hid his face in his hands. The older man ran a hand through his hair and gave Samantha a rather dirty look.  
"Oh don't get pissy with me," She said, "You don't have to cook in here after you guys are gone." Edal's face turned red.  
"W-whatever, Saiyu." He strode over to Dalec, took his hand, and kissed it softly. "Dale, let's go see the town…"  
Their eyes met. "But… I can't leave mama here… I came to visit because she was lonely…"  
"Edal could give me a piggyback ride!"  
"Heck no," He snorted.  
"Oh but _Liebe…_" Dalec said. His eyes got as big as dinner plates. He reached up and touched his lover's face softly, lips parted every-so-slightly.  
Edal blushed. "N-no… Dale…"  
"_... Bitte? Für mich, meine Liebe...?"_  
"F-…. Fine. But just this once," He said, pointedly averting his gaze from the boy to Sam. She grinned like a Cheshire cat.  
Dalec totally wore the pants.

Edward sulked in a couch in the Rockbell home. Winry glanced up from her worktable and sighed.  
"You're really pathetic." He glared at her from across the room.  
"I have no idea what you're talking about."  
Pinacco drew a long breath from her pipe. "Oh please. You look like a puppy that's been left in the rain." Ed blushed a little and rolled over.  
"I'm not, and it's none of your business you old hag."  
Winry sighed and set her wrench to the side. "Did you fight with Alphonse?"  
"No," He grumbled. "Alphonse is more reasonable…"  
"Oh," Pinacco said with a slight smile, "So it's a woman. That Samantha girl, I guess?"  
Though Edward said nothing, his form uncomfortably shifted. Winry picked her wrench back up and strode calmly over to him. "What did you do, Edward?"  
"I didn't do anything. She's just being stupid."  
Winry's weapon came down on his head with a resounding crack. Ed let out a yelp that echoed off the walls. His hand flew to his head and tears streamed down his face.  
"OW—Jesus Christ, what the hell was that for?" He yelled.  
"For being stupid! I don't know what you did to upset her, but you'd better go apologize right now."  
"Like hell I will! She kicked me out of her house! She's probably out right now with that… that…" His eyes darkened.  
"I know her, Ed. Apparently better than you do. Whatever you did to make her mad, it's your fault. She's not unreasonable, and she's more loyal than anyone else I know. If she's hanging out with other guys, they're probably just friends, or you really pissed her off."  
Ed grunted. He tried to shove the guilty feeling in his stomach down. He couldn't tell Sam what he was feeling… It just… A blush crept up his cheeks. How could he tell her the truth? Especially when he didn't know it himself? He could be in love with her… And he thought that perhaps he was. But still…  
"Go talk to her," Winry said.  
"No. She probably doesn't wanna talk to me anyway."  
"Edward. Talk with her." The hair on his neck prickled up. He could already feel the wrath of her wrench again.  
"Alright, alright… I'll go find her…" He growled. He rolled himself off the couch, grabbed his coat, and headed for the door.


	19. Chapter 19

"Wait, wait, wait," Dalec said, shaking his head, "Let me get this straight. The man with the funny colored eyes is in love with Mama. Mama's in love with him. But they won't admit it because they're stupid?"

"Yup," Carrie confirmed.

"So you and Auntie Colleen have been trying to get the two of them together. But neither of them have admitted they like eachother. At all."

"...Yup."

"So you got his brother Al here to call the Colonel and tell him about this plan, who then called here claiming he was trying to hook Edward up, when really he was just trying to get Edward to mention Mama at all. So then he and Mama kissed-a couple times-but he won't say he likes her, and she's mad at him even though she hasn't said anything about liking him either and is being totally unreasonable about the whole matter."

"Yeah, and to top it all of Ed's pissed at her because she's pissed at him."

"Well, he did hit me. Caleb didn't want him in the house anyway," The young boy said with a glance out the window. Edal and Sam were sitting on a bench, Sam fuming and wanting to go inside the bookstore, and Edal refusing to carry her another inch.

_If you're gonna bite me the whole way, you can just sit here and be happy you're outside at all, _He'd snapped.

"I'm sure he did," Carrie said. She'd very nearly run out of ideas. If Sam and Edward couldn't get over this little spat (which wasn't likely, the two were stubborn as mules), then any chance they might have had at a relationship could be badly damaged; if not ruined altogether.

Dalec sighed. "Honestly, those two act more like a married couple than Caleb and I ever could on our own." Carrie followed his gaze out the window where Edal and Samantha were once again bickering like children. Slowly but surely, a grin spread across her face.

"Hey, Dalec... You wanna help me out?"

"... Will Mama get mad at me for it?"

"Only if she finds out."

The boy pondered this for a moment. Then his chocolate eyes took on a mischevious glint. "Okay."

Later that evening, after Sam had fallen asleep, Dalec and Edal curled up together in the only spare room she had.

"No, Dale. No," Edal grunted. "I can _not_ pretend I'm in love with her."

"You don't even have to pretend you're in love with her! Just...just... don't love on me so much. Pay more attention to her, laugh at her jokes. Just be normal... but a little less in love with _me_."

"I don't even _like_ Sam. Besides, how am I supposed to back off of you? I love you. I love touching you, holding you, I just love being anywhere near you. You can't ask me to pretend like I don't."

Dalec had blushed. He couldn't help it, it happened every time Edal said the words 'I love you'. A warm tingle spread through his entire body, and he nuzzled in to Edal's chest, inhaling his sweet scent and holding it inside him for as long as he could.

"_Liebe..._" He whispered, "I'm not asking you to pretend you don't love me. I'm... I'm asking you not to kiss me around Edward, or... or... or hold me in that wonderful way you have..." He felt rather than heard Edal's sigh.

"...Alright babe. But just this once. Don't you ever ask me to pretend I'm not madly in love with you anymore. Oh--and I'm not touching Sam. That's gross."

Dalec beamed up at him. He was the epitome of preciousness. "I wouldn't have it any other way, Caleb. Save all your touches for me, later." They shared a kiss.

"I promise."

Just like that, Phase Two of Carrie's romantic masterplan was hatched.

Operation: Make Blondie Jealous


	20. Chapter 20

"I hate you."

"Shut up and get dressed."

"...I _hate_ you."

"Sam. I will undress you myself if you don't get your lazy butt off this couch and go put something nice on so that we can go to Winry's for dinner."

She hissed like a cat.

"Samantha," Edal warned.

"I'm crippled! Besides, Winry struts around in her tubetop and riduculously short skirts. If she gets to wear that to dinner, why can't I wear totally non-revealing jammies?"

"Because you've been wearing that all morning!"

"_She_ gets to wear the same outfits all the time!"

"Well, I don't have to be seen in public with her! What will Dalec think if I let you show up to dinner like this?"

"What do I care? When you two first got married, he used to run around in that skimpy waiter's out--"

"_Okay that's enough!_" Edal yelled, his face so red it glowed. "Go get dressed, or I'm going to hurt you."

"Like hell you--" He threw a book directly at her skull. She ducked quickly, a stream of curses flying from her mouth. "You son of a bitch--!"

"_GO._"

She got.

As fast as she could hobble down the hallway, cussing every step of the way. Edal winced as she slammed the door behind her and screamed something inaudible.

"And he only dresses like that for my birthday, dammit!" He shouted after her. Through the walls, he heard a muffled,

"Screw you, pedophile!"

With a sigh, he went to the phone and dialed Winry's number. After two rings, a pleasant male voice answered.

_"Rockbell residence."_

"Hi, is this Alphonse?"

_"Yes, who may I ask is calling please?"_

"It's Caleb. Is Dalec still in the kitchen with Winry? I'd like to talk to him."

_"Oh, hi Caleb! Hold on, I'll get him for you. He talks about you all the time, you know."_

"Yeah," Edal said with a smile. "I know."

_"Just a sec,"_ There was a soft sound as Alphonse put the phone on the table, followed by an even softer: _"Dalec!"_

Within seconds, the voice he loved so much rang clear as a bell.

_"Caleb! Oh, Caleb I miss you! How are you? Is everything okay? Is Mama being a monster? I wish you were here..."_

"Babe, we've only been apart for two hours... But I miss you too." He wondered if Dalec could tell he was grinning. "I'm alright, I guess. And yes, your mother is being a beast. You should've seen the screaming match we just had to get her to get dressed."

_"Does she know that Ed's going to be at the dinner?"_

"No--but Dale, I think this whole plan is silly. You, Carrie, Colleen, and the rest of the crew really shouldn't be interfering with this stuff... it's..."

Last night while in bed, Dalec had instructed him on how the plan was supposed to go. Dalec would go to Winry's to help prepare dinner, so Edal and Samantha could show up together. Edward should have arrived before them, to see the two enter. After that, it was essentially his job to flirt with Sam.

A job he was not fond of.

At all.

But he agreed nonetheless. Partly because Dalec was so damn cute when he begged, but mostly because he knew Sam would notice he was suddenly being nice to her and immediately pick up the signals that something wasn't right. Which meant his ruse only had to last for all of a half hour. Maybe. She wouldn't say anything about it if she couldn't get him alone--and he was going to make sure they had lots of alone time.

"_Liebe,"_ Dalec said softly, using the German word for 'love' that he knew Edal was weak for, _"If Mama and Colleen hadn't intervened when we first met... Would you ever have confessed you loved me?"_

The older man was caught. It was true. Samantha and Colleen, having known eachother before Risembool, had been the ones to step in and tell Dalec-then fifteen(has it really been four years?)-that Edal had been harboring feelings for him. One thing led to another, and less than a year later they were married. A decision neither of them has ever regretted.

"Alright, so maybe sometimes interference is neccesary," He said. "We'll be there in a bit...Is that Ed guy there yet?"

_"No, not qui--"_ For a short moment, there were muffled sounds Edal couldn't quite make out. _"Yeah...um...yeah."_ His volume raised a little bit. The man on the other end of the phone recognized his 'I'm-up-to-something' voice. _"Okay, Caleb, make sure you whip Mama into shape. Take good care of her, just like you always do."_

"Mmkay. I love you, babe." He grinned again. He could practically hear Dalec blush.

_"You too. See you soon."_

Edal hung up the phone with a content sigh. Talking to his husband always seemed to lighten his day and his mood. Although to counteract it, Sam hobbled out. Taking one glance at her, the first words out of his mouth were:

"Oh, Good lord."

"I look awesome, right?"

"Get your ass back in that bedroom and put something decent on."

"This is exactly what Winry wears!"

"We both know you don't have the balls to leave the house like that. You wouldn't even be wearing that if I wasn't gay."

"...Screw you. Hippie." She again hobbled back into her room.

Edal sighed. It was going to be a long, long day.


	21. Chapter 21

As Dalec hung up the phone, he found himself once again nearly buried under a mountain of loneliness. He loved his Caleb, his Edal, and craved his presence and contact like a crack addict. Being without him for this long made Dalec uneasy. He hated to think of himself as the clingy sort, and he made every effort to deal with it when Edal was off on his own or wanted to be alone for a bit (although his lover swore up and down that he also craved the contact and didn't like to be away from Dalec for any longer than necessary).

Dalec brushed his emerald hair back from his eyes and was again hit with a bolt of loneliness. He knew he was going to be horribly jealous when they arrived... But it was important that this happened. He loved Samantha dearly, and in a lot of ways he _did_ view her as a mother. She'd always been there for him when he needed a babysitter or advice. This was the least he could do for her. Everyone deserved love. That was an ideal he held close to his heart and no one could tell him otherwise.

The boy blinked and glanced over his shoulder. The blonde man, Edward, was staring at him intently. Dalec blushed under his gaze.

"H-hello..." He said, his voice soft. Somewhere in the house a clock chimed on the hour. Edward's golden eyes narrowed at him.

The man stared at him a moment longer before breaking the eye contact.

"Is Sam coming?" He asked.

"I--...Well, yes, I suppose," Dalec answered. "M—Caleb is making sure she gets here in one piece."

"Ah." Something flashed behind his eyes. It passed before Dalec could accurately gauge what it was. "So you were friends from Central?"

"Yes."

"Huh." Edward sat on the couch, leaning on the arm and resting his chin upon his fist in a nonchalant manner. "Was she as crazy then?" Dalec laughed.

"Oh, yeah. She's always been a bit of a head case... Actually, back in school, she was considered the genius."

_That_ seemed to catch Edward's attention. His eyes flickered momentarily to the younger boy and then back away again. He snorted with derision. "Sam? Really?"

"Of course... She always had a book in hand, everywhere she went; and no matter what you were talking about it always seemed like she could spout off one random fact or another. It was from her that I learned that if a statue in the park of a person on a horse has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle. If the horse has one front leg in the air the person died as a result of wounds received in battle. If the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died of natural causes."

Ed blinked. "Whoa."  
"Yeah," Dalec said with a smile, "She always claimed to carry around an invisible hat that she pulled those facts from."

"So... She had a lot of friends, then?"

"Well... Sort of. Mama was always the sort of person who could befriend anyone she wanted, but her real friends always knew who they were. She never had any boyfriends, though. I... I don't know why. Mama was always sociable enough, and there were a few guys here and there who liked her...But..." He shrugged. "If you want to know about her love life, you'd have to ask her."

Ed blushed. "I never _asked_ about her love life!"

Dalec smiled. "Oh. I'm sorry." He then turned on his heel and headed back into the kitchen to finish helping with the meal; leaving an extremely flustered Edward behind him.

Samantha hobbled along on her crutches with a rather large amount of difficulty. Her face was bright red and every few steps or so she'd curse and attempt to knock out the man accompanying her with a crutch. After a few of those attacks, he tossed her crutches into the river and dragged the young woman kicking and screaming down the road.

"I fucking hate you!" She screeched.

"Shut _up_ or I'm going to make sure your skirt doesn't make it to dinner."

"You wouldn't _DARE_, Adler!"

"I made you wear it in the first place. Isn't that daring enough?"

"...Go suck your boyfriend."

Edal smacked her upside the head.

"Ow! You dirty whore--" He smacked her again. "_STOP THAT_!"

"Clean up your filthy mouth!"

"Clean up _your filthy—_Stop hitting me goddammit!"

Edal rolled his eyes and kept dragging her. Dear God, he was never going to make it through this plan. He was going to kill her before they ever got to the house. Finally, after what seemed like an endless eternity of torture and rage, he spotted the house. He released the hold he had had on Sam's shirt collar and cupped his hands over his mouth.

"_Hey! Dalec!_" He shouted.

Immediately, the front door flew open and a flash of green raced out to tackle him in a loving embrace.

"Caleb, Caleb, Caleb!" The boy squealed. "I missed you, I missed you so much, oh my _goodness!_"

Edal laughed and hugged him back, burying his face in the crook of the boys neck and inhaling his scent. "Hey, babe. I've missed you t--"

"Get a room. Queers." Edal slapped Sam upside the head. Again.

"Shut your _filthy_ mouth!"

"Are you kidding me? You bitch at me the whole time we were home, make me wear a skirt, slather this gunk all over my face, nearly tear all my hair out, and you expect--"

"Oh, Mama! You're so _pretty!_" Dalec exclaimed. He clasped his hands together and smiled his sweetest smile. Just like that, all of her crabby melted.

"...Whatever." Well, almost all of it.

The oldest male snorted and nuzzled Dalec's neck again. "Where were you when I needed you earlier?"

Ed watched from the window with an unfamiliar feeling settling in the pit of his stomach. They were bickering like a married couple when he'd first spotted Samantha and the other man coming up to the house. He could hear the shouting all the way inside the house. And he'd nearly been flattened when Dalec bolted from the house to answer the faint call of his name.

What had they been arguing over? Was it one of the things _he_ had argued with her about? Did she try to start those arguments with everyone? Was that just some kind of sick hobby, gauging different people's reactions to situations? Why did he _care?_

_ Hell_, He thought, _it's none of my damn business. It's not like we were ever really together; and we never will be. _His intense golden gaze strayed over her distant figure for a moment longer before he turned from the window and went back to the couch. _I don't care._


	22. Chapter 22

Samantha chewed her food slowly, listening to the conversation around her and pondering developments in her own way. When they entered the house it seemed like everything was suddenly flipped upside down and topsy-turvy. Caleb stopped being incredibly rude to her (he probably felt bad after making her dress up like a whore). Suddenly he was polite and quiet. He laughed with her and joked with her, and even made a point of making more conversation with her than was required.

However, the look in his eyes was saying he wasn't enjoying his sudden decency to her in the slightest.

Weird.

Her pale green eyes glanced over at Edward as he silently picked at his food. There was the other odd thing about this dinner. From what little time she'd known him, Ed had always been rather talkative and couldn't resist a good intelligent conversation. But he hadn't said a thing all evening and wouldn't even look at her. Granted she was still holding a grudge against him at the moment but dammit, she went through all this crap with Edal, dressed up and even put on _makeup_ for God's sakes. The least the asshole could do was look at her.

Allowing her gaze to drift, she watched Roy flirt shamelessly with Riza. Poor woman. Really it was a shame that he didn't pause to appreciate her a little more, they'd make a really cute couple-

"-right Sam?"

She blinked and looked at Edal, who was smiling ever-so-cheerfully. Dear God, it was so _weird._

"Huh?"

"I said, while we're here we should visit your grandparents."

"Oh! Yeah, that'd probably be a good idea. They haven't seen you guys in a while—hey Dalec, since you guys left Central, who's watching the ki-"

"The kittens are fine, we left them with my brother to look after." Dalec answered quickly.

"What? When did you get kittens? The only cat you guys ever had was that big fat tomcat you picked up on your ho-"

"Who wants more mashed potatoes?" Dalec asked with a smile. "We made plenty!"

Sam gave him a confused look and glanced around the table. The only one who seemed to share her expression was Ed; and that made absolutely no sense. Because surely _everyone_ at the table noticed how he cut her off, so why were she and Ed the only ones confused by it? What the hell was going on?

"So, Edward," Roy began, toying with his drink, "I understand you and Samantha had quite the argument the other day."

Edward twitched visibly. "Your point being?"

"It must be awkward sitting here for you two."

"Mustang, shut up."

"But you two are really ruining the mood of the table. Why don't you just kiss and make up?"

Edward slammed his utensils down, stood up with a curt "Excuse me," and exited the room. Immediately all eyes turned to Samantha. She tried to keep eating, but the silence and stares was too much to take.

"Gee, he seems really upset, I guess I'll go talk to him," She said flatly before getting up and leaving the room. She caught a glimpse of him going outside and strode after him. "Hey fathead, come back here."

Ed whirled around with an angry snarl plastered to his face. "_What?_"

"Apparently we need to talk."

"I don't want to talk."

"I don't either, but I can't go back in there without at least trying or I think someone will shank me in the eye." He snorted.

"It's what you'd deserve."

"Excuse me?"

"You are being completely unreasonable about this whole damn thing!" He shouted, face red. "So I won't say I like you, so what?"

"For starters, I'm not some tramp who will just kiss any guy, I'd like to know if you like me or not first, okay?"

"You still have no goddamn right to be mad at me-"

"Not _only_ will you refuse to admit you like me, Edward, but you punched one of my best friends in the _face,_ not two damn seconds after he walked in the the door! On top of that, you've completely ignored me for two days."  
"You threw me out of your house!"

"You punched Dalec in the face!"

"He wouldn't answer my goddamn question!"

"_You won't answer mine!_"

"How can you expect me to be honest with you when you aren't honest with me? When were you going to tell me about Caleb?"

Sam was floored. "What? What about Caleb?"

"You let him call you 'babe', he's been making passes at you all goddamn night, and you got dressed up like this for _him!_"

"I have no obligations to tell you about _anyone, _in my life—and Caleb's gayer than a rainbow!"

"The hell you d—he's _what?"_

_ "_Read my lips you fucking idiot. Caleb. Is. Gay. He and Dalec have been married for years_. They have three adopted children together." _The look on Edward's face was priceless. She thought his eyes were going to bug out of his head, and for a moment she was so pissed she hoped they would. "I didn't dress up like this for anyone, Edward! If you knew me at all you'd know I hate this skirty girly shit! He made me dress like this because his inner stylist couldn't let me out of the house in my street clothes."

"Then why the hell didn't you tell me that?"

"Because I wasn't aware you were my nanny!"

You know what?" He seethed. "If I'd known you were going to be this much trouble to deal with, I would've never even spoken to you in that damn bookstore."

"Well. The feeling's mutual." She turned and began to walk away. "When Dalec and Caleb end their visit, I'm going back to Central with them!"

"Fine then, I don't need you!"

"Good because I'm leaving!"

"Good!"

"You're such a douche—I hate you!"

"I hate you too! And you know what? I _never_ liked you in the first place!"

Sam's feet began to move faster, and her eyes stung with tears. The latter surprised her. "I didn't like you either!" She turned and faced him, and wished she hadn't. The look of anger on his face made her eyes threaten to actually leak and her throat to tighten uncomfortably. "I never liked you!" She turned away again and stormed off.

Edward was breathing heavy. Good, she was leaving. Too much goddamn trouble in the first place, with her crazy disappearances, talking in riddles, stupid obsession with books. He was better off without her; everyone in Risembool was.

...But for some reason, he hurt deep inside.

Colleen stared out the window. "Fuck."

**URRHURR UPDATES TAKE LONG TIME. Had some family medical issues, blahblahblah I suck I know. But DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUN... What's going to happen here? IDK. :D**


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